Living The Promise
by 33andobsessed
Summary: Complete!Sequel to I'll Be There For You It has been 6 years and life is going well with only a few small problems. When someone from Inu's & Kag's past appears, will they be able to live the promise?
1. Envy

_A/N: I am back! This is the sequel for I'll Be There For You. You can read this fic without having read the first one, but I would recommend that you read the other one first. I believe that it will help make this story clearer.

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Chapter 1: Envy

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Kagome sighed as she glanced at the clock. 'Damn, I still have twenty minutes until lunch. I wonder if Sango and Ayame would be terribly upset if I backed out today.' The petite woman tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she continued to type. 'I can't back out; we have met for lunch every month since we all got married. Besides, Ayame is due any day now,' Kagome thought sadly to herself.

It had been six years since Inuyasha had told her about their soul connection. A lot had happened in that time. They, along with their friends Sango, Ayame, Koga and Miroku, had all graduated from college and gotten married. Koga and Ayame had been married for a few months before they separated, only to get back together a year later. Sango and Miroku married and they now have a little boy, Kanaye, who was turning 2 in a couple of months. Kagome and Inuyasha married, and had been trying to start a family of their own for the past year and a half with no luck.

Kagome gave herself a mental shake. 'Snap out of it girl! Don't let their happiness get you down.' Sighing again, she finished typing her article and saved it before collecting her purse and heading to the lobby. Passing the receptionist, Kagome waved and called out, "I'll be back in about an hour, Mai." Mai waved and Kagome headed down the street.

The little café where the three women met for lunch each month was only a few blocks from Kagome's building. When she got there, Kagome saw that Sango and Ayame had beaten her there. They stood and hugged her in greeting.

"Hi Kagome," a very pregnant Ayame said as she took her seat, "I am glad that you made it."

"Hi guys, I am glad too. I was half afraid that I would not make my deadline and wind up working through lunch. Ayame, how are you doing? You look ready to pop." The red haired woman smiled ruefully.

"I wish. The doctors say I still have 3 weeks to go, but I hope that it is much sooner than that."

Sango chuckled. "I know what you mean. I swear I was ready by the time I hit my sixth month with Kanaye." She smiled and turned to Kagome. "How are things going with you, Kagome?"

"Things are pretty much the same. The editor keeps telling me that I'll be getting my own column when they finish designing the new layout for the paper, but he has been saying that for months." The three women commiserated over bosses who never seemed to follow through.

When the waiter came for their orders, Kagome and Sango ordered salads, but Ayame ordered a salad, a bowl of soup, a turkey sandwich and a hamburger. Kagome and Sango both tried to conceal their snickers with little success. "Geez Ayame, order enough food?" Sango teased.

"Yeah, well I am eating for 3 you know" she laughed as she patted her stomach.

"I don't see how you can manage it with twins. I felt like I was constantly grazing with Kanaye."

Ayame giggled and leaned forward, gesturing the other two to do the same. "I'll tell you a secret," she whispered. "This is actually my second lunch. I grabbed a bite on my way over. Koga says that it is a good thing he manages that grocery store, otherwise there'd be no food in our house," she finished with a twinkle in her eyes. The three friends shared a laugh as their food arrived. Abandoning conversation for food, the table fell quiet as they focused on eating.

* * *

Kagome and Sango watched as Ayame finished off her lunch with a slice of cherry pie. Sipping their tea, Sango and Ayame talked about the pregnancy and the upcoming birth; Kagome sat quietly, trying not to feel left out.

"Did Miroku become overly protective of you when you were pregnant?"

Sango nodded. "He tried to, but when he threw a fit about me walking up the stairs at the clinic, I told him to either tone it down, or I would tone it down for him. Needless to say, he calmed down a lot."

Ayame sighed. "I wish I could do that with Koga. He is driving me crazy! He always wants to know where I am going, how long I'll be there and who I am with. If I am more than 5 minutes late returning, he calls to find out where I am. If I show any sign of discomfort, he asks if I am okay, or if it is _time_. I mean, it is all so sweet that he is protecting me and all, but I am feeling smothered." Kagome heard the frustration in her voice and reached over to give Ayame a hug. The frustrated woman broke down and started to cry softly in Kagome's arms.

"Just tell yourself that it is only for a few weeks longer. Then, once the babies are born, if Koga continues to be an ass, you can come stay with Inuyasha and me for a while." Kagome reached into her purse and handed Ayame a kleenex. She accepted it with a watery smile.

Sango grinned at her. "If you like, I can "talk" to him for you." That evoked a giggle from the pregnant woman. She knew what Sango meant by "talk" and didn't think that Koga would survive the conversation.

"Thanks guys. What would I do without you?" Ayame was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. Noticing who was calling, she muttered "speak of the devil," before she answered. "Hello dear. We are just finishing lunch. I am sorry I lost track of the time. I'll be home in 15 minutes. I'll call you when I get there. Yes, I know you love me, I love you too. Bye dear." (A/N: this is only Ayame's side of the conversation. Use your imagination for Koga's side lol).

Ayame hung up and looked apologetically at her friends. "Well, I have received my orders. I'll talk to you all soon." The three women stood and hugged each other, making promises to call later in the week. Paying for their lunches, the friends went their separate ways.

* * *

Kagome sighed for the umpteenth time as she walked back towards her office building. 'I wish I was the one who was pregnant. It doesn't seem fair that Inuyasha and I are having as much difficulty getting there when Ayame and Sango both said that their pregnancies were an accident.' She was jolted from her thoughts by her cell phone going off. Taking it from her purse, she saw that it was Inuyasha. Flipping it open, she answered, "Hello."

"_What's wrong, angel?"_ Inuyasha's voice was filled with concern.

"Nothing much. I just finished lunch with Sango and Ayame."

"_Nothing much? Is it the same thing as before?" _Kagome's eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah. I am sorry. I didn't want to disturb you…"

"_Its okay, Kagome. You know that the connection we share lets me feel your strong emotions. I was between classes and wanted to check up on you. You do know that we could always call that doctor Kaede recommended."_ Kagome smiled sadly. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to see a doctor in order to become pregnant.

"Not right now. Maybe if we haven't had any luck by the first of the year." Kagome could hear Inuyasha's sigh.

"_Okay, if you're sure."_ A bell rang in the background. _"I've gotta go babe, my next class of kids have shown up. Smile for me and I'll see you this evening. I love you, angel."_

"I love you too, darling. I'll see you tonight. Bye." Kagome hung up and entered the building she had approached while talking to go back to work.

* * *

Inuyasha entered the classroom and settled down his class of high school juniors. He hoped that Kagome would be okay. He wished that she'd talk to a doctor, or at least talk to Sango and Ayame about her concerns, but she felt that it was too personal of a problem to be shared among friends, much less strangers. 'I think I'll call Kaede later and see what she suggests.' Inuyasha cleared his throat, "All right class, pass up your homework and open your books to page 276."

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TBC

_A/N: I hope that you all will enjoy this story. I am looking for someone who is willing to be my beta for this and for I'll Be There For You. Please let me know in a review if you are interested. Make sure to leave a way for me to contact you as well. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	2. Concern

Chapter 2: Concern

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Sango arrived back at the lab and started putting her things away. Donning her lab coat, she walked into the adjoining laboratory where her husband was running some tests.

"Hey there beautiful! How was your lunch?" Miroku looked up from the apparatus he was using and gave her a big smile that quickly turned into a playful pout. "And why can't I go on these lunches with you?"

Sango walked over and kissed the tip of his nose and replied, "You can't come because it is a "girls" only lunch and we only do it once a month. Lunch was wonderful, as always." She went over to the piece of equipment she had been using earlier and picked up where she left off. Loading the next sample, Sango resumed telling Miroku about lunch.

"Ayame looks ready to explode. I think that the twins will be here any day. She told us that Koga is driving her crazy." Sango noted down the readings from the sample and loaded another one.

"Miroku, would you talk to Koga and get him to calm down a bit? I am afraid that if he continues, Ayame will leave him, twins or no twins, and I doubt that she'd return this time."

Miroku glanced over at his wife in shock. "Is it really that bad?" Sango nodded. "Okay, I will talk to him. I know what he is going through and I would hate to see them break up again just because Koga is being a jerk." He thought back to the last time his friends had separated.

_It was only a few months after Koga and Ayame had married. One of Ayame's uncles, who happened to be only a year older than she, had come to town for business. He had called Ayame, asking her to meet him for lunch. Koga had never met him before, and Ayame never thought to tell him that she was going to lunch with her uncle. When Koga happened to pass by and see Ayame and her uncle eating together and then share a hug, he assumed the worst and threw a fit. He accused her of cheating on him and refused to listen to her explanation. Ayame packed her things and went to stay with her mother. It took the friends a year of talking to the two hot-headed adults before Ayame and Koga reconciled and she moved back._

"I would appreciate it and I know that Ayame would too. I offered to talk to him, but she didn't like that idea." Sango flashed a smile at Miroku, who returned it while rubbing the back of his head in remembrance.

"Yeah, well, we'll use you if nothing else seems to get through his thick head. That is definitely one conversation I will never forget."

The two scientists laughed and turned their focus back to their work. After a few minutes, Miroku spoke again.

"You never said how Kagome is doing."

Sango sighed. "She said that everything was still the same; her boss is still stringing her along regarding her column. She did seem awfully quiet today though. I think something is going on, but Kagome hasn't said anything to me about it."

"I haven't heard about anything either. I wonder if something is bothering her. Inuyasha probably knows what it is, but I doubt that he'll tell me." Miroku finished his batch of samples and stood up. He took the tray of samples and put them into the refrigerator to keep cool. Miroku took a seat at the desk and started to analyze the data. Silence fell once more in the lab.

"You know, now that I think about it, Kagome has not been acting like herself for several months. Do you think what ever has been bothering her has been going on for a while?" Sango asked as she traded her samples for the ones that Miroku had finished.

"Hm…what? Oh, sorry." Miroku put his pen down and turned towards Sango. "It is possible, I guess. If that is true, then the fact that neither Inuyasha nor Kagome has said anything about it to us means that they probably won't."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just worry about them." Sango's voice was full of concern. Miroku stood and went to her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"I worry about them as well," he said softly.

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the couch staring at the pile of homework that needed to be graded. He growled softly before picking up the cordless phone.

'I'll do these later. I want to call Kaede before Kagome gets home.'

He dialed her number and listened to it ring. Inuyasha sighed as her answering machine picked up. "Hey Kaede, it's me. Pick up if you are there please. It is important!" He waited a moment and started to hang up when he heard her pick up the line.

"_What is so important, Inuyasha, that it couldn't wait a little while until I finished my meditations?" _Inuyasha could hear the exasperation in her voice.

"It is Kagome," he said simply.

"_Kagome? What is wrong? Is she okay?" _Kaede's voice quickly filled with concern.

"It is nothing like that, but I am concerned about her. She tries not to let it show, but the fact that she hasn't gotten pregnant yet is really getting to her."

"_Have you two talked to Dr. Kenshin yet?"_

Inuyasha sighed and rubbed his temple with his free hand. "No. She doesn't want to talk about it with anyone. She feels that it is too personal to talk about; Kagome won't even talk to her mother about this. She about threw me out of the house when she found out that I had told you about our problem."

"_Kagome needs to talk to someone who is outside of this situation. If she does not, it will cause her to become bitter towards you and your friends. You may need to fill them in, and then help them confront her tactfully. In the mean time, I will send you some herbs that I would like to have both of you drink as a tea each night before bed."_

"Thanks Kaede. I owe you."

Inuyasha heard her chuckle. _"You can repay me by getting me some grand-nieces or nephews."_

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bye."

Inuyasha hung up and stared at the handset. Taking a quick glance at his watch, he made his decision and dialed another number.

"Hello, mom?" Inuyasha enjoyed calling Mrs. Higurashi, mom. She had insisted after the wedding that there was no reason to be so formal with her. "Listen, I need to tell you something and I need your help." He settled back and began telling her about the difficulties they were having getting pregnant.

They talked for several minutes before they hung up. Mrs. Higurashi promising to "confront" her daughter about it over the weekend when they went shopping.

'Now if only it will help her realize that this is a perfectly normal problem, and there are things that can be done to help.' Inuyasha looked back at the coffee table and cringed. Picking up his pen, he grabbed the first sheet and started to correct the pile of papers. 'These won't get done just sitting here,' Inuyasha thought to himself with a sigh.

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TBC

_A/N: Just a quick shout out to my new beta reader, _inuyashalover5209._With her help, my stories will just be that much better._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review_


	3. Assignment

Chapter 3: Assignment

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"Good morning Kagome. How was your weekend?" asked Mai with a big smile.

"Not quite long enough," Kagome chuckled ruefully.

"Are they ever?" The stocky receptionist handed Kagome her messages. "So what did you end up doing?" she asked.

"Mom and I went shopping on Saturday and then went to dinner. It was quite pleasant spending time with her." 'Mom kept trying to get me to talk about what was bothering me. I evaded her questions as much as I could, but I think that Inuyasha talked with her. I guess I just am not ready to discuss our love life with anyone,' she thought to herself.

"By the way, Kagome, Mr. Tanaka wants to see you." Kagome felt a chill run down her back.

"Did he say what it was about?" Mai shook her head.

"No, but he didn't sound upset, just kinda resigned."

"Okay, thanks Mai," Kagome said distractedly. A slight frown appeared on her face as she wondered what the newspaper's editor wanted her for. She quickly dropped her things off at her desk and made her way to Mr. Tanaka's office.

Kagome paused for a moment to straighten her skirt and jacket before knocking on the closed door. Hearing a muffled "Come in," she opened the door and stepped inside. Two men stood as she entered; one was a frail seeming man in his mid sixties with short grey hair and piercing brown eyes, the other was a tall gentleman with long silver hair and gold eyes. _Wait a minute…long silver hair…gold eyes…_

"Kagome Taisho, welcome. You know Mr. Sesshomaru Taisho, I assume?" At her nod, Mr. Tanaka gestured her to have a seat, both men sitting as she did so.

Kagome nervously sat and looked at her brother-in-law and then over to her editor. Interpreting her expression, Mr. Tanaka smiled and said, "You are probably wondering why I called you in this morning." Pausing to catch her nod of assent, he continued. "Mr. Taisho has been asked to look into several allegations regarding unsafe housing down on the eastside of town. He approached me asking for someone with connections to the area to help him gather information. In return, we would receive exclusive rights to the story."

Kagome was confused. "But sir, I…"

"Kagome, I know that you have several contacts in the area from the story you did last year on the gangs. Also, one of the buildings in question is the children's shelter." Kagome bit back her denials. She always was a sucker when it came to kids in trouble. She looked over at Sesshomaru, who had been observing her quietly.

"Kagome, I have seen your work and I have been impressed. Mr. Tanaka has had nothing but praise for your abilities." Kagome was shocked to see a faint smile appear on his normally expressionless face. "I believe that your talents are exactly what I need to get to the bottom of these allegations."

Kagome sat quietly and studied the two men. Making her decision, she nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'm in."

Mr. Tanaka stood with a relieved smile. "Very well. Kagome, Mr. Taisho, if you will excuse me, I must be going. I have another meeting to get to. You may use my office to work out the details." Picking up his briefcase, he shook Sesshomaru's hand and gave a nod to Kagome as he left the office, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, how do you want to do this, Mr. Taisho?" Sesshomaru's finely arched eyebrows rose in response.

"To begin with, you may call me by my first name; even though this is a business association, you are still family." He gave her another small smile as she nodded in understanding. Kagome chuckled to herself 'surely I must be imagining things; the icy Sesshomaru smiling at me twice within 10 minutes?'

Sesshomaru opened his briefcase and handed her a packet of papers. "This is the information that we have acquired to date regarding the safety of several buildings. I would like you to use your contacts and verify or dispute the allegations."

"Why can't you just have the buildings inspected?" asked Kagome as she scanned the packet.

"We have done so, but my informant claims that city officials are being bribed to look the other way."

Kagome nodded absently. "I see. Give me a week or so to get in touch with my contacts and see what I can come up with."

"That would be just fine. Please give me a call next week and we can meet for lunch and go over what you have found." Snapping shut his briefcase, Sesshomaru stood and held out his hand to Kagome, who stood and shook his hand in return. "If you have any questions, just call my office. My assistant, Jaken always knows how to get a hold of me."

"Thank-you Sesshomaru. I look forward to working with you," Kagome said as she escorted him out to the lobby and watched as he got into his car.

"So who's the cutie?" Kagome blushed lightly and looked at Mai, who looked back at her with a twinkle in her eyes.

"That is my contact for a big story. His name is Sesshomaru Taisho." Kagome flashed a quick smile at the woman before turning and heading to her desk. Mai's mouth fell open.

"Taisho, isn't that …"

Kagome laughed and nodded. "Yep."

"Wow!"

* * *

Sesshomaru relaxed as his driver drove him back to his office. He found himself thinking about Kagome.

He had been a little surprised when Mr. Tanaka had recommended her as the one to help him on this story. 'To be totally honest, I had not even realized that she worked for the Tokyo Sun (A/N: This is not a real paper to my knowledge),' he thought to himself. Sure, he had read several of her stories, including that one about escaping the street gangs. 'That one won several awards if I remember correctly.'

'I wonder how Inuyasha will react to her working with me on this story,' he mused. Sesshomaru shook his head and rubbed his temples with one hand; trying to relieve the threatening headache.

Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. His rest had been disturbed the past several nights by a reoccurring dream.

* * *

Dream Flashback

_He opened his eyes and saw a grassy hill with a single tree standing serenely at the top. He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. There was a calming aura permeating this place. He found himself walking up towards the tree. As he neared, he could make out low voices, but could never understand the words. As much as he tried, he couldn't seem to find where the voices came from._

End Flashback

* * *

Sesshomaru found himself growling and quickly brought himself back under control. It wasn't that the dreams themselves were disturbing, quite the contrary. They were actually very relaxing. What bothered him, though, was the fact that he always woke up feeling like there was something missing; that there was a reason behind the dreams that he knew nothing of. Once he had awoken from the dream, he found that he could not get back to sleep.

The car pulled up to his office building and Sesshomaru stepped out. He took the elevator to his office where his assistant, Jaken greeted him eagerly. "Jaken, hold my calls. I am not to be disturbed," he said quietly as he shut his door behind him. Perhaps he could take a small nap before his next meeting.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Why is Sesshomaru having those dreams? What is he missing? What will Inuyasha think about Kagome's new assignment? Hmmm…_

_Thanks to my wonderful betas: breezie and inuyashalover5209_. _Thank-you to all who have reviewed to this point. I look forward to updating soon._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review! _


	4. Revelations

Chapter 4: Revelations

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_A/N: This chapter contains some mild citrus content. You have been warned._

"I'm home!" Kagome kicked off her shoes and deposited the mail on the hall table. Silence greeted her. 'Oh yeah, Inuyasha had that meeting this afternoon.' Kagome looked at her watch. 'He should be home any time. I'll start dinner.'

Humming an upbeat song, Kagome went to the kitchen and gathered the ingredients for stir fry. She started to sing softly as she chopped the veggies, finding that the rhythm matched the beat of the song. Soon, she began to dance as she lost herself in the music, failing to notice the door opening behind her.

Inuyasha smiled as he heard Kagome singing in the kitchen. He quietly walked up behind her and waited until she put the knife down to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Hello beautiful!" he growled seductively. Kagome squeaked in surprise before turning and wrapping her arms behind his neck.

"Hey there sexy," she purred in response. Inuyasha caught her lips in a passionate kiss. Kagome nibbled on his lips before slipping her tongue into his mouth. Inuyasha groaned. Sweeping his wife into his arms, he carried Kagome into the living room and gently laid her on the couch.

Kagome broke away from the kiss long enough for them to divest each other of their clothing. With no further hindrances, Inuyasha and Kagome began the dance of the ages.

* * *

Kagome set one plate of stir fry in front of Inuyasha while keeping the other for herself. Inuyasha watched as she took the seat across from him. She was clad only in his shirt, while he sat in his boxers. 'Damn! That shirt looks better on her than it does on me,' Inuyasha chuckled softly.

Kagome looked at him and gave him a smile. "You're lucky that I hadn't turned on the stove before you came in." Inuyasha only smirked before he dug into the food before him.

"So, how was your day?" he asked.

"It was okay. I was given a new assignment," she answered as she took a bite of celery.

"Really? What is it?"

"I've been asked to use my contacts to investigate building safety allegations on the east side of town."

Inuyasha frowned and set his fork aside. "How did you get that? It sounds like it could be dangerous."

Kagome looked down at her plate and poked a piece of carrot around. "Mr. Tanaka recommended me as the one to cover this due to the article I did last year on the gangs. It should be safer than that one. Besides, I already have a network of contacts there."

"I don't like this idea, Kagome. Something about this bothers me." He reached over and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. "What aren't you telling me about this assignment?"

Kagome sighed. "When Mr. Tanaka called me in this morning, he had someone in his office with him. He was the one who brought the assignment to our attention, and he is my lead contact. I will be working with him for the duration of the story."

"Who is it?" Inuyasha asked softly.

"Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha dropped his hand to the table. Silence stretched as he stared blindly at his plate. He knew that if Sesshomaru was involved, that it was a serious matter, and the risk involved rose exponentially. Finally lifting his eyes, he caught Kagome's gaze. "Just be careful," he whispered. Kagome nodded.

"I will."

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome had just finished the dishes when the phone rang. Kagome went to answer it while he started the dishwasher. Inuyasha could hear the excitement in her voice as she hung up.

"That was Koga. Ayame just had the twins! Let's go see them!" Inuyasha followed Kagome into the bedroom where she was pulling on a pair of jeans and changing out of his shirt.

"I think I'll go like this," Inuyasha said as he struck a pose in his boxers. Kagome blushed and threw the shirt she had been wearing at him.

"If you do, you are walking, mister." Inuyasha smirked and put the shirt back on and grabbed a pair of sweats. Kagome took his arm and almost dragged him out the door and down to the car. Laughing at her eagerness, Inuyasha snatched the keys from her hand.

"I'll drive. Knowing you, you'll end up getting pulled over for speeding." Kagome pouted and stuck her tongue out at him before climbing into the passenger seat.

When they reached the hospital, Kagome went in to find out where Koga and Ayame were, while Inuyasha parked the car. He caught up to her as she waited for the elevator.

As they walked down the hallway, they heard a **SLAP** andahissed "HENTAI!" Kagome giggled. "Sounds like Sango and Miroku are already here." Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief at his friends' antics.

"Hey guys!" Inuyasha called as they entered the room. Kagome saw an exhausted but happy Ayame resting, cradling a pink-wrapped bundle. Sango sat beside her with the second pink-wrapped bundle, while Koga stood proudly beside Ayame's bed. Miroku was sitting up on the floor sporting a red hand print on his face.

"Kagome, Inuyasha, come meet the newest members of the Ookami family, Kyoko and Kichi."

Kagome made her way over to Ayame and looked at the sleeping baby. Inuyasha went over and shook hands with Koga. "They're beautiful! Congratulations!"

"Would you like to hold her?" At Kagome's nod, Ayame passed Kichi to her. Cradling the newborn gently, Kagome ran her fingers softly down its cheek. Kichi turned her head towards the touch and made suckling motions.

"You and your sister are very lucky Kichi. You have two wonderful parents who love you very much, as well as two sets of honorary aunts and uncles who will spoil you silly," Kagome said softly. She felt her eyes fill with tears and struggled to hold them in. Inuyasha looked at her in concern. Kagome handed Kichi back to her mother and excused herself from the room.

Sango had caught Inuyasha's concerned look, and when Kagome rushed from the room, handed Kyoko to Miroku and followed her friend. Inuyasha yearned to follow, knowing what was bothering Kagome, but hoped that she would finally open up to Sango. The others in the room looked at him in question, but he only shook his head.

Sango followed Kagome down to the floor's waiting room where her friend sat huddled in a chair while sobs shook her tiny frame. Sango took a seat beside the distraught girl and wrapped her arms around her, holding her as she cried. After a while, Kagome's tears subsided and she pulled away from Sango.

"I'm sorry for breaking down like that," Kagome whispered softly.

Sango handed her a kleenex. "Will you tell me what is wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Like hell it is nothing!" Kagome looked at her friend in shock. Sango gave her an exasperated look. "You have not been acting like your self for quite a while. You were quiet at lunch the other day, and then you broke down here. Something is going on that has you upset, and as your friend, I insist that you tell me!"

Kagome could only stare in surprise. Sango sighed. "Kagome, I thought that we were friends, and as friends, we promised to always tell each other our problems. If I was mistaken in thinking this, then tell me now, and I won't waste any more of your time."

"It's not like that," Kagome gasped as Sango stood to her feet. Kagome grasped her hand and gave it a tug. "Please don't go." Sango looked at her for a moment before sitting beside her again.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

Kagome nodded. "It is not easy for me to do, so please be patient, okay?" When Sango nodded, she continued. "Inuyasha and I have been trying to get pregnant now for the past two years; seriously trying for the past 18 months. Nothing has happened. Do you know how much it hurts to hear you and Ayame talk about how you got pregnant without even trying to?

I see you and Miroku with Kanaye, and imagine that we were in your place. When you talk about his firsts, I dream that it is my child's firsts. When you guys talk about being pregnant and parenting, I feel as if you were speaking a foreign language, or that I am invisible. The four of you; you, Miroku, Koga, and Ayame, all share a bond that Inuyasha and I cannot. You have all experienced something that we have not."

Sango was speechless as Kagome spilled out the frustration and pain that lay within her. "Kagome, I…" She was interrupted as her friend stood and faced her.

"Sango, I know that none of you would ever intentionally hurt me, hurt us. This is one of the reasons that I have never said anything to you about it. In fact, the only ones who know of our "difficulty" are Kaede and my mother, both of whom Inuyasha told. You are the only one that I have told this to. I have not even spoken of it to mom."

Sango stood and hugged her friend, who returned the embrace hesitantly. "Kagome, have you talked to a doctor about this?"

"No. Kaede has recommended one, but I haven't been able to talk to anyone about this other than Inuyasha, much less a stranger. Kaede did send us some tea that he and I drink before bed. She said that it is supposed to help; I figure that it can't hurt."

"I am glad that you have shared this with me, Kagome. If it would help, I would be willing to give you Kanaye on loan any time you want him. You can deal with the "terrible two's" instead of me." Sango gave her a wink, causing Kagome to laugh weakly.

"Thanks Sango. You know that he is always welcome to stay with us if you and Miroku need a break."

"I know, thanks 'Gome." Sango smiled at the young woman beside her. "Shall we go and drool over the twins again?"

Kagome laughed. "Yeah, let's go." She headed back down to Ayame's room, pausing to look back at her best friend. "Thank-you Sango."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter. Things will start happening now that the plot has been introduced. Thanks to my wonderful beta, Breezie for her hard work and ideas. They are appreciated! _

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	5. Investigation Begins

Chapter 5: Investigation Begins

* * *

Kagome sighed as she stood in front of a dilapidated building. It had been several days since she had sent word out to her contacts, and she hadn't heard anything back yet. Kagome double checked the address in her notebook, hoping that she had not found the correct place.

'This surely can't be the correct place,' she thought sadly to herself. The address in front of her was supposed to be the children's shelter, but it looked like it should have been condemned years ago.

The building in question was a two story brick building with over half of the windows broken out and boarded over. The mortar was crumbling, and Kagome could see quite a few bricks missing from the edge of the roof, and the corners of the building. She saw that the "yard" was nothing more than a strip of broken concrete surrounding the building.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome walked up the crumbling stairs and rang the bell, receiving a mild shock of electricity. 'Bad wiring,' she mentally noted. She could hear someone approach and unlock the door, allowing it to open and giving Kagome a glance at a dingy hallway. Kagome gasped as her eyes focused on the person standing before her in the doorway.

"Hojo?"

"Hello Kagome, long time no see. Suki said that you were coming by this afternoon." The tall, brown-haired man smiled at her and invited her inside where he led her to a small office. "Please, have a seat," he said, as he indicated one while he took the other for himself.

"So, how have you been? I haven't seen you since high school graduation." Hojo studied Kagome curiously.

"I have been doing well. Inuyasha and I married after college; he's teaching middle school history, and I work for the Tokyo Sun." Hojo nodded.

"I remember seeing some of your articles; they were really good." Kagome blushed slightly as he continued. "I met and married Suki during our second year of college. We took over management of the shelter, but have had problems getting government aid to do the needed repairs and maintenance."

"That is why I am here. I am checking out allegations of building safety violations and wanted to start here." Hojo stood with a smile on his face.

"Great! Maybe you will be able to help us get our funding. Let me give you the grand tour." Kagome stood and followed the young man from the office. He started the tour at the top floor, and pointed out the areas in need of repair. Kagome wrote down everything in her notebook, trying not to blanch at the numerous code violations she saw. As the tour continued, she felt a growing unease. Even though there were many rooms in the building, only a half dozen or so showed signs of recent occupation.

As Kagome and Hojo passed through a hallway, she saw several rooms where children were playing or sitting for lessons. The rooms seemed too small for the number of children crammed into them. "Why are the children confined to these rooms? Why not make use of the empty ones that we have passed to give them a little more room?"

Hojo ran a hand through his hair and looked uncomfortable. "There are only a handful of rooms that are habitable at this time. We have over 50 children and have to keep them to these rooms." Kagome looked shocked. Hojo hurried to assure her, "We usually take them out on field trips or to the park as often as possible, but sometimes they have to stay here, like today." Hojo sighed and gazed sadly at a group of children reciting their lessons. "Truthfully, this building should be condemned. But if it were, these children would have nowhere to go; most of them would end up on the streets. When Suki and I took over, we were promised that we would receive appropriate funding to help these kids." Hojo laughed bitterly. "You can see how that has turned out."

Kagome touched a hand to his arm, "This is why I am here. It is my hope that once my story comes out, you will be able to get the help you need." Hojo smiled sadly at her and patted her hand.

"Thank-you, Kagome. You don't know how much this means to me." A pretty, dark-haired woman came up and excused herself for interrupting before informing Hojo that he had a phone call. "Pardon me Kagome, but I need to take this call. Kagome, I would like to you meet the love of my life, my sanity, Suki. Suki, would you please continue to show Kagome around?" His wife smiled and nodded. The two women watched as he hurried off.

Suki turned and grinned at Kagome. "So you are the Kagome that Hojo keeps talking about?" Kagome blushed; Suki laughed lightly. "Don't worry. He told me that he had a crush on you in school, but he was over it. We are happily married, and I know that he is totally faithful to me." She continued to talk as they finished the tour.

As they passed another occupied room, a small, dark-haired blur ran out and crashed into Kagome's legs, falling to the floor. Kagome knelt and touched the child on the shoulder. "Are you okay, honey?"

The little girl looked up and launched herself tearfully into Kagome's arms. Kagome looked questioningly over at the other woman.

"Rin? What is the matter?" Suki tried to take the sobbing girl from Kagome's arms, but the child wrapped her arms tighter around her neck and wouldn't let go.

Kagome shook her head. "It is okay, I don't mind." Suki nodded and turned to the faces staring from the doorway.

"What happened to Rin?" she asked them. The children fidgeted and looked away.

Finally a small voice spoke up, "Tori was teasing her again, and Rin started crying."

Suki sighed. "Tori." A young girl with long black hair tied in ponytails stepped forward. "Hojo and I will talk to you at dinner." The child nodded and looked down at the floor.

Kagome managed to calm Rin down, but the girl refused to let her go. She smiled softly at the child as she adjusted her weight more comfortably on her hip. Suki turned back towards the pair and smiled.

"Rin does not take easily to people. She really likes you." The young girl tightened her hold on Kagome and buried her face in the woman's neck.

"What brings her here?" Kagome asked as the two women walked back towards the office, Kagome still carrying the child.

"She was left on the doorstep about three years ago. Rin was only about 2 or so, but she had been severely neglected. She couldn't walk and was extremely thin. She doesn't talk much and doesn't open up to people." Kagome looked down at the girl in her arms, only to see the child staring at her with large brown eyes. Kagome smiled tenderly; Rin returned it with a gap-toothed grin of her own.

"Are you okay now, Rin?" Kagome asked. The little girl nodded. "I am glad. Can I put you down now?" Rin thought for a moment and then nodded. Kagome set her on the ground and Rin reached out and grabbed Kagome's hand.

"Rin, you need to go back to the room with the others," Suki said softly. Rin only shook her head and held on to Kagome's hand. The two women shared an amused glance before continuing to walk back to the office; a smiling Rin walking beside them.

They met back up with Hojo and he escorted them to the front door. "Thank-you for your time. I will do what I can to get you the help that you need. It was great seeing you again, Hojo and I am glad to have met you, Suki."

"It was our pleasure, Kagome. Hopefully, your article will bring us some much needed aid. If there is anything you need, just call."

Kagome nodded and looked down at the child who still held her hand. She kneeled down and smiled gently at the young girl. "Rin, I have to leave now. I will come back and see you, okay?"

Rin studied the woman kneeling in front of her for a moment before smiling. She threw her arms around Kagome, hugging her tightly before stepping back beside Suki. Kagome stood and gave a wave good-bye as she walked down the steps to the street.

'I hate the thought of those kids living in those conditions, especially Rin. I wonder if there is anything I can do to help out with immediate needs.' Kagome, lost in thought, looked briefly for oncoming traffic before she started across the road to her car.

She was about halfway across when the sound of screeching tires caught her attention. Looking up, Kagome saw a dark colored car heading right for her. Her minding screaming in fear, Kagome felt as if her body was frozen in place. The car showed no signs of slowing. The young woman closed her eyes in expectation of the collision.

'Inuyasha…'

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Evil Cliffy! The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! Thank-you to my beta reader, Breezie for her help. As always, Please Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	6. Unexpected

Chapter 6: Unexpected

* * *

Kagome stood with her eyes closed, tensed in anticipation of the impending collision. The next thing she knew was someone tackling her and flying through the air. Kagome felt her head strike the curb as she heard the car speeding off. When she tried opening her eyes, all she could see was a blurry image of a red-haired man before she fell into the waiting darkness.

Kagome's savior looked down at the woman he had just rescued, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized that her pulse and breathing were regular; that she had only passed out. He brushed the hair from her face, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Kagome?" he whispered. "What are you doing here?" He looked down at the unconscious woman and shook his head slightly. Kagome began to show signs of waking. The red-haired man stood quickly and took a last look at her before running off.

Kagome groaned as she sat up, placing a hand to the side of her head and flinching as she inadvertently touched the lump that had formed. She opened her eyes and looked around for her rescuer. 'That's odd,' she thought. 'No one is around.' Kagome was pulled from her thoughts as her cell phone rang, causing the young woman to cringe as the noise set off waves of pain in her head.

"Damn it! I know who that probably is." She hissed as movement caused renewed throbbing in her already aching head. Kagome fumbled for her phone before finally getting it open.

"Hello."

'_Kagome, are you okay? What happened?' _Kagome winced at Inuyasha's volume and held the phone slightly away from her ear.

"I am okay. I almost was hit by a car that refused to slow down. I must have hit my head on the curb."

Kagome could hear the concern in Inuyasha's voice. _'Can you drive? Do you need me to come get you?'_

"I'll be okay. I think that I will head on home though, so I'll see you soon."

'_If you are sure that you are okay…'_

"Yes Yasha, I am okay. I love you and I will see you in a bit." Kagome hung up before he could insist on coming to get her.

The ache in her head had faded to tolerable levels, so Kagome gingerly stood to her feet. When that did not send any more shooting shards of pain through her head, she unlocked her car door and drove home.

* * *

The young man with red hair and green eyes watched as Kagome recovered and answered her phone. He watched form his second floor apartment as she drove away.

"Kagome, what are you doing here? Why did I have to run into you now after all these years?" He sadly turned away from his window and picked up his phone to call his therapist.

A pair of red eyes narrowed as she saw Kagome drive away and started cursing. The woman was not sure who it was that saved the girl from her vehicle, but she knew that her sister-in-law would not be happy that she had failed to take Kagome down. The woman went back to her car and headed back to the house to work on a new plan to get rid of Kagome Higurashi Taisho for what she had done to her brother.

_(A/N: Guess who the 2 watchers are…)

* * *

_

Inuyasha was waiting impatiently when Kagome got home. He quickly steered her to the couch and sat her down.

"All right, now tell me what happened today."

Kagome sighed. "I went down to the children's shelter this afternoon; starting my investigation on the safety story." She paused and smiled at him, "You will never guess who runs the shelter."

"Who?"

"Hojo." She laughed softly at his shocked expression. "Evidently, he got married while he was in college. His wife, Suki, is really nice. They both run the shelter, but are having problems getting the government funding for needed repairs and maintenance."

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "That is why you're investigating, right?"

"Yeah. Anyway, they took me on a tour of the building." Kagome felt her voice crack with emotion. "Inuyasha, it is awful! The building should be condemned! They take care of 50 children in a handful of rooms; the majority of the others are unfit for human habitation."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome as tears ran down her face. "I met a precious little girl; her name is Rin." Kagome shared Rin's story as she continued to cry on Inuyasha's shoulder. When the tears finally slowed, she sat back and continued the story.

"I was walking back to my car when this crazy driver came tearing down the street. It was like one of those nightmares where you try to run, but you are paralyzed. I couldn't seem to move out of the way. I closed my eyes, certain that I was going to die. The next thing I know, I was tackled by some guy and I hit my head on the curb. I think I blacked out for a moment, because I woke just before you called."

Inuyasha sat quietly as Kagome finished her tale. "Did you see the driver or the guy who saved you?" Kagome shook her head.

"The car was coming too fast, and the guy was gone when I came to. I only caught a glimpse of red hair before I passed out." Kagome unconsciously touched a hand to the bump on her head. Inuyasha gently brushed her hand away and probed it gently. Satisfied that there was no serious damage, he kissed her forehead and sat back.

"Kagome, this entire story has me worried. I think that whoever was driving that car meant to do you harm." Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but Inuyasha continued before she could say anything. "I would feel better if you could wait a week until school was out so I can help you."

"I can't not do anything for that long, Inuyasha. I need to get this story out."

"Fine, but in the mean time, I want you to take someone with you anytime you go out on this story. If I can't be with you, maybe Sesshomaru can send someone."

Kagome frowned in frustration. "Inuyasha, there is no way that I will agree to having a babysitter following me around as I do my job!"

"You don't have much choice about it. Either you agree to take someone with you, or I call Sess and tell him that you can't do the story." Kagome searched Inuyasha's eyes, looking to see if there was any hope for compromise. Finding none, she grudgingly agreed.

"I'll do it your way, but once school gets out, you are going to be my shadow."

Inuyasha leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Later that evening, Kagome and Inuyasha lay cuddled together in bed. Kagome was almost asleep when she heard Inuyasha softly call her name.

"Hmm…what is it?" she asked sleepily.

"I was thinking that I could go out to the shelter with you Saturday and see what I can do to help out. I can do some light electrical work and some plumbing," Inuyasha said shyly. He had worked in a repair shop while in high school, but didn't do more than simple repairs.

Kagome rolled over, excitement lighting her eyes. "Would you really? That would be wonderful! Thank-you, Inuyasha! I can't tell you how happy that makes me!" She gave him a quick kiss, but he held her close and deepened it. Kagome moaned.

"I know how you can show me how happy it makes you," he said huskily. Kagome flashed him a sultry grin.

"I think I will," she purred. No further words were needed that night.

* * *

Sesshomaru stared into the wine glass he held in his hand. He couldn't figure out what had happened earlier that afternoon.

He had been sitting in a meeting when he felt an overwhelming fear. Sesshomaru felt his eyes widen and his heart start to palpitate. He couldn't understand where the sense of fear was coming from. Almost as quickly as it came, the feeling disappeared. He found that the eyes of the others in the meeting were staring at him with concern. He brushed aside their inquiries as nothing more than an attack of indigestion. How could he explain something that he didn't understand himself?

'I could almost swear that I heard my baka brother's name being called.' Sesshomaru shook his head in confusion. 'I must be going crazy.' He swallowed the rest of his wine and headed to bed.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that you like this chapter. A lot of unexpected things were brought up here. I hope that it was not too confusing. Thank-you to everyone that has reviewed so far; all of your reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank-you as well to my wonderful beta, Breezie for her help in catching my brain skips._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	7. Business Lunch

_A/N: Just a quick thank-you to my awesome beta, Breezie! Enjoy the chapter!_

Chapter 7: Business Lunch

* * *

Kagome nervously smoothed her skirt as she approached the doorway of the restaurant. 'Why did he have to pick this place?' she thought uncertainly. The restaurant was only open by invitation; one had to know the owner to be admitted. Kagome sighed. 'I should have told Sess that I couldn't make it or at least insisted on a different restaurant. How am I supposed to get inside?' The smartly dressed young woman was startled from her musings as an arm reached past her and opened the door.

"Please allow me." Kagome gasped and turned to look at the figure standing behind her.

Sesshomaru stood holding the door, a hint of a smile gracing his lips and a twinkle lighting his eye. He was wearing a dark grey business suit, white dress shirt and red tie. His hair was pulled back into a low, neat ponytail. Kagome found herself wanting to drool, but managed to keep it to herself.

'Damn, he looks fine!' she thought appraisingly. 'Wait! What am I thinking? I am a happily married woman!' Kagome felt herself begin to blush. Managing a "Thank-you," she entered the restaurant, Sesshomaru following behind.

"Welcome back, Mr. Taisho. Your table is right this way." The host flashed a smile at the two as he led them to a small private table. Once they were seated, Sesshomaru took a moment to study the woman seated before him.

'My brother did well in catching this one,' he thought. 'It is too bad that he found her first and then developed that soul connection with her. I wouldn't mind finding someone like her for myself.' Kagome started to feel uncomfortable under his gaze and sought something to break the ice.

"So, um, Sesshomaru, how do you know about this place?"

Sesshomaru tore his gaze from Kagome and looked around the restaurant. "The owner and I were roommates in college. I often come here for business lunches."

Their waiter came up and set down their salads before disappearing. Kagome looked at her salad in confusion. Sesshomaru held in a chuckle and answered her unspoken question. "There is no menu here. The cooks only prepare one entrée along with several courses. If one wishes a "special" order, then it must be called in a week in advance. Do not worry, however, the food is always excellent."

Kagome relaxed and smiled her thanks as they started to eat their salads. They kept conversation light as they made their way through the following courses, finally finishing with coffee.

Setting his cup back on the saucer, Sesshomaru prepared to discuss business. "What information do you have for me, Kagome?"

Kagome set her cup down and pulled out her notebook. "The affected buildings all lie in a six block radius. They include 4 apartment buildings, a senior center, and the children's shelter. Within those six blocks lie 28 houses, of which 19 are vacant; the remaining 9 are in poor condition." Sesshomaru was surprised at this information.

"Do you know why the houses are vacant?" Kagome shook her head.

"My contact didn't know, but was going to try to talk to a couple of the homeowners. I suspect that someone may be trying to acquire the land, but I am still checking into that." Sesshomaru nodded his understanding.

Kagome took a sip of coffee before continuing. "The apartment buildings are subsidized for low income tenants; yet the monies needed are not arriving as promised. The same thing is happening with the senior center and the shelter."

Sesshomaru tapped a finger on his lips as he thought about this information. "I will have my people look into it and see if the money was actually sent."

Kagome nodded, a hint of relief in her eyes fading to sadness as she thought of Rin and the children's shelter.

"What is the matter, Kagome?" asked Sesshomaru, concern coloring his voice.

"Have you seen the state of these buildings, Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly.

"No, I have not. I have only read the reports."

Kagome sighed and looked at the tabletop. "It is really bad, Sess. The children's shelter should be condemned, but they have nowhere else to go. 50 children are confined to a small handful of rooms, because the others are unsafe. There is only one working bathroom, and it only has hot water sporadically." Kagome felt tears welling up and struggled to keep them under control. She felt a hand grasp hers where it lay on the table and it gave her a gentle squeeze. Choking back a gasp, Kagome looked up into Sesshomaru's concerned, golden eyes.

"Kagome, I was not aware that it was this bad." He paused a moment as he thought something through. "Are you available to come with me this afternoon? I may be able to do something to help them out."

Kagome felt a glimmer of hope. "My time is all yours." She flashed him a blinding smile; Sesshomaru found that he enjoyed seeing her happy.

"Then I will call Jaken and have him free up my afternoon." He stood and helped Kagome to her feet. With a nod to the host, he escorted Kagome out of the restaurant. He stopped and asked, "Do you wish to follow me in your car, or would you like to ride with me?"

"I would like to ride with you if you don't mind. I took the bus today, as Inuyasha's car is in the shop and he has mine." Sesshomaru nodded and led her to his car.

* * *

"Kagome, I didn't; expect to see you back so soon!" Suki greeted her with a hug before stepping back and urging them inside.

"Suki, this is my brother-in-law, Sesshomaru Taisho."

"Welcome Mr. Taisho. I am sorry that Hojo isn't here, but he is out with the older children touring the city gardens."

"That is quite all right, Mrs. …" Suki smiled and interrupted.

"Please, just call me Suki."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Very well Suki. I do not wish to cause any difficulty, especially as we came unannounced. Kagome was telling me of your difficulties and I wished to see them for myself."

"It is no problem at all. I would be happy to give you the grand tour." Smiling, Suki turned and began the tour. Kagome followed behind the two. She saw a couple of rooms where the younger children were taking naps. As she passed the door of the second room, a small dark haired child came hurtling out and attached itself to Kagome's legs.

"Rin! How are you doing, sweetie?" The little girl looked up and smiled, before reaching up "asking" to be picked up. Kagome laughed and lifted her into her arms. Rin wrapped her little arms around Kagome's neck and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Kagome smiled and tapped a finger on the child's nose. "Aren't you supposed to be napping?" Rin shrugged and laid her head on Kagome's shoulder.

Suki and Sesshomaru stood watching them. Suki had her hands on her hips, shaking her head as she fondly said, "Rin, you know what you should be doing, and it is not hanging off of Kagome."

Sesshomaru found himself watching the scene between Kagome and the child, Rin, in curiosity. He had never had much to do with children; most of them seemed to dislike him. 'She would make a wonderful mother,' he thought. Kagome blushed faintly as she caught up to the two adults. Sesshomaru saw Rin studying him carefully. He stood still as the young girl reached out and touched his hair hesitantly, before running it through her fingers in delight. Rin flashed him a big grin, shocking the normally stoic man.

"Rin, this is Sesshomaru. He is my husband's brother." Rin smiled at him again, before ducking her head down shyly. "Sesshomaru, I would like you to meet my friend Rin. She is one of the children who live here. She doesn't speak much, but her smiles tell everything."

Sesshomaru nodded in acknowledgement. "Hello Rin." Rin grinned at him again before snuggling back against Kagome.

Suki continued the tour through the building; Kagome and Rin giggling and bringing up the rear. As Sesshomaru took in the deplorable state of the building, felt himself growing more and more angry. Suki had just finished the last of the tour and was leading the group back towards the office. Sesshomaru pulled out his cell phone and began making calls.

Rin had wriggled down and had grasped Kagome's hand. The two of them started skipping down the hallway, following Sesshomaru and Suki.

Rin suddenly came to a stop as she heard a sound coming from a nearby stairwell leading to the basement. Kagome stopped and looked at Rin. "What is it? Why did you stop?" Rin tapped her ear and pointed down the stairs. Kagome listened and heard a faint mew. It sounded like a kitten!

Rin dropped Kagome's hand and ran down the stairs, searching for the source of the cry. "Rin, come back! You shouldn't go down there!" Kagome cried after her. The basement was one of the many areas that were off limits due standing water. Kagome hesitated a moment longer, looking down the hallway for Sesshomaru and Suki, but they had already disappeared around the corner. Kagome made up her mind and went after the child.

"Rin, where are you?" Kagome gingerly made her way into the basement. She found herself wading through about an inch of murky water. She shuddered, not wanting to know what was in it. "Rin?" Kagome jumped as she felt a small hand grasp hers and tug.

"Rin, we shouldn't be here. It isn't safe." Rin shook her head and tugged Kagome's hand. Sighing, Kagome followed Rin, who led her over to a vent hole a few feet from the ceiling. The mewing was louder, and seemed to come from inside the vent. Kagome looked around and found a rickety chair that she used to climb up and peer into the vent. Reaching in, she carefully pulled out a thin, dirty kitten. Cuddling it to her chest, she jumped down.

Rin was hopping up and down in excitement. Kagome gently handed her the kitten and said, "Be careful now. She needs to be cleaned up and fed. Let's go back up to the others."

Rin smiled and nodded, cradling the cat in her arms. Kagome placed her hand on Rin's head and steered them back towards the stairs. They were about halfway there when the kitten leapt from Rin's arms and hid. Kagome felt the ground begin to shake beneath them.

EARTHQUAKE!

Kagome tried to get her and Rin to a safe place to wait out the quake, but only had time to thrust Rin beneath a desk which had a leg missing. Kagome turned as she heard an ominous groaning coming from the ceiling.

Kagome lost her balance and fell to her knees. She watched as a wall collapsed in front of her. Plaster and debris were falling all around her; something struck her head and she fell into darkness.

The quake soon stopped. An eerie silence fell, only to be broken by the sobs of a child.

* * *

TBC

_Another evil cliffy! I am sooo mean! You all know what you need to do, so don't just sit there, do it!_

_I need to let you guys know that I am getting a little concerned that people are not enjoying my story. I am thinking of bagging this one and maybe doing a different story. I am very discouraged because I am not getting very many reviews on it. If you are enjoying this fic, please let me know. If you are not, please let me know why not (be nice about it) so I can correct it. To those of you who have reviewed for me, Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you! Each review is greatly appreciated._

_As Always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	8. Aftermath

Chapter 8: Aftermath

* * *

Inuyasha was at his desk, prepping final grades for his students when he felt a brief flash of fear. At the same time, he felt the school building shake. Other than a few books falling to the floor, no damage was done.

_(A/N: There are very strict building codes for buildings in earthquake areas. Many of the newer buildings are built so to absorb the shockwaves of earthquakes, reducing damage.)_

'It is a good thing the kids are already home,' he thought to himself as he picked up the fallen books. 'I hope that Kagome is okay. I can't call her since she left her cell phone in her car.' _(A/N: Remember, Inuyasha has Kagome's car while his is in the shop.)_ He felt uneasy, but couldn't pinpoint a reason. Inuyasha returned to work on the grades, trying to finish them before he headed home.

A few minutes later, the principal's voice came over the intercom. "Attention staff. As you may have noticed, a moderate earthquake struck Tokyo. Damage is mostly light; most seems to have been centered on the eastside of town. As you travel home, please use caution. Thank-you"

Inuyasha put away the grades and locked his classroom. 'I guess I will head home and wait for Kagome.'

* * *

Sesshomaru found himself helping the teachers calm the frightened children. Suki was trying to get a head count. Surprisingly, when the earthquake struck, the rooms where the children were sleeping, all in the front part of the building remained mostly intact. Sesshomaru and Suki were able to get them out of the building safely.

He stood up from where he knelt as he comforted a crying child _(Can you see him trying to calm frightened kids? lol)_ and looked at the shelter. The entire back and left side of the building had collapsed, leaving a pile of rubble. Sesshomaru could hear the hissing of broken pipes. Looking down the street, he saw that the buildings sustained varying amounts of damage; some appeared to be untouched while others were totally destroyed. He could see the tenants of the buildings milling around in the street, offering comfort and aid to those who needed it. A young man with red hair approached him.

"Is everyone okay here? Are any of the children injured?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

"It doesn't appear that any are injured here. The children are mainly frightened." The young man nodded and picked his way over to a young boy who was crying fretfully. Sesshomaru watched as the young man reassured the child and soon had the boy laughing.

"Mr. Taisho! Mr. Taisho!" Suki came running up, worry etched on her face. "There are two missing according to my count. Rin and Kagome are nowhere to be found."

Sesshomaru's golden eyes pierced Suki with their intensity. "What do you mean; they are nowhere to be found? They have to be out here somewhere!" He stalked over to where the teachers were clustered with the children. "Have any of you seen Kagome or the child, Rin?" Sesshomaru frowned as they all shook their heads.

He pointed to one teacher. "I want you to go around behind the building and see if they are there." Pointing to a couple of others, "I want you to go down the street and ask if anyone has seen them." He turned and started back towards the shelter.

"Mr. Taisho, wait! It isn't safe to go inside yet," Suki said, fear and concern coloring her voice.

"I am going to see if I can find them. I will be careful." The red-haired young man approached them.

"At least take Shippo here with you."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Very well." He started again for the shelter, Shippo following quietly behind him.

The two men carefully made their way into the building and began to systematically search for the missing pair. Damage varied greatly inside; from fallen tiles to collapsed ceilings and floors. As they made their way further back, the amount of damage increased. No sign was found of Rin or Kagome.

Sesshomaru was about to turn back with Shippo, hoping that Suki had found them, when a faint noise caught his attention. Motioning Shippo to remain still, he listened carefully. Just about ready to think that it was only the building settling, he heard it again. It sounded like a child crying! Shippo indicated that he heard it as well.

"Rin, where are you? Are you okay?" shouted Sesshomaru.

The crying stopped. After a long, agonizing moment, they heard a faint "Help!"

"Rin we will get you out, just be patient a little longer. Is Kagome with you?" Sesshomaru held his breath. Shippo was poking around the debris from the fallen wall, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Finally a small voice answered.

"Yes." Sesshomaru relaxed slightly before the voice continued, " 'Gome hurt." 'Kagome is hurt? How badly? Is that why she isn't answering?' Sesshomaru growled as the thoughts jumbled in his head. Shippo waved him over to where he was standing.

"I think her voice is coming from this area. I can't get any closer as part of the floor here has collapsed and the rest seems unstable." Sesshomaru nodded his understanding.

"Rin, I am going to go get some people to help get you and Kagome out. I will be back in a little while. Take care of Kagome for me, Okay?"

"Kay."

Shippo and Sesshomaru made their way back out to the street. Suki came running when she saw them emerge.

"No one has seen them out here. Did you find them?"

Shippo nodded, "We found where Rin and Kagome are, but we can't get to them. They are trapped beneath the back wall. Rin told us that Kagome was injured." Suki gasped and tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall, but was failing miserably. Shippo gathered her in his arms and tried to soothe the distraught woman. "It will be okay. We'll get them out."

Sesshomaru made a few calls and after a moment, hung up with a look of grim satisfaction. "I have a team of workers on their way to help excavate down to their location. Suki gave him a watery smile as she struggled to regain control of herself.

Sesshomaru sighed and unconsciously ran a hand through his hair as he gazed back down the street. He was amazed at what he saw. In just a short amount of time, the residents had organized themselves to help each other. Off to one side was an area that appeared to be set aside for first aid. Further down, an area was set up with food and drink. Several of the seniors were even helping keep the children calm and entertained.

"Suki! I got here as fast as I could." Sesshomaru turned and saw a young man rush up and embrace the woman. "I left the children in the gardens. Is everyone okay here?"

Suki tried to hold back the tears as she shook her head. "Not quite. Kagome had come by with Mr. Taisho," she gestured towards Sesshomaru as she continued, "Kagome and Rin are missing in the rubble. Shippo and Mr. Taisho found their general location. I guess Rin indicated that Kagome had been injured."

The young man kept one arm around his wife as he reached out with the other. "Mr. Taisho, I am Hojo, Suki's husband. I thank-you for the aid you have given Suki and the children today. What can I do to help getting Kagome and Rin out from the building?"

Sesshomaru shook the man's hand. "I have workers who will be arriving shortly to help us get Kagome and Rin out."

"Thank-you again for your generous assistance." A look of sadness settled across his face. "Has anyone tried to reach Inuyasha?"

Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, but I will call and inform him." He walked a little way from them and placed the call.

As the phone rang, he saw his team of workers arrive; Jaken with them. Shippo stepped forward and briefed them on the situation.

'_Hello?'_

"Inuyasha, it is I, Sesshomaru. I take it that you weathered the quake in one piece."

'_Yeah, I did. Why are you calling me like this now? You never have called after any of the other earthquakes._' Sesshomaru could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"You are aware that Kagome and I met for lunch today, are you not?"

Inuyasha's voice became hesitant as he answered, _'Yeah, why?'_

"We came out to the children's shelter afterwards. When the quake struck, part of the building collapsed, trapping Kagome and Rin in the rubble. Rin indicated that Kagome has been injured. We are not sure how badly. You may want to come down."

'_Damnit!'_ Sesshomaru could hear more cursing and a door slamming. _'I'm on my way.'_

"Very well." Sesshomaru hung up and strode towards Jaken.

"Jaken, I want you to call and have the office building set up as a shelter for the children and any of the other residents here that need a place to go."

Jaken looked up and gave a small smile. "It has already been taken care of, sir. It should be ready within the hour." Sesshomaru nodded.

"Well done, Jaken." The assistant broke out in a huge grin. It wasn't often that he received a compliment from his boss.

* * *

Rin sat beside the unconscious Kagome and gently patted her cheek. When the earthquake hit, she remembered Kagome had thrust her under a desk before a loud noise and lots of stuff filled the air. Once the dust had settled, Rin had started to cry.

* * *

Flashback

* * *

It was dark with a few patches of a lighter darkness scattered around. Rin crawled from beneath the desk, scraping her knees on jagged pieces of concrete.

" 'Gome?" she called out softly. She started to cry again when there wasn't any answer.

Rin continued moving in the direction she had last seen her friend. Her hand brushed against flesh – KAGOME! Gently running her hands across the woman's body, Rin was able to remove most of the debris covering her. There was a large piece that lay across her back that was too heavy for Rin to move. When she brushed some hair from Kagome's face, her hands came back sticky.

Rin sat down beside Kagome and held the woman's limp hand. Rin continued to cry, scared that no one would be able to find them.

After awhile, Rin heard a voice calling her name. She smiled and stood to her feet. Finally, someone would come and they would take care of Kagome. The voice promised to come back with help, and Rin settled down to wait again.

* * *

End of Flashback

* * *

Rin had been sitting in the darkness for a while and was becoming chilled. She lay down and carefully snuggled against Kagome, hoping to stay warm. A short time later, Rin drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Thank-you for all of the wonderful reviews on the last chapter. I apologize for not updating sooner, but I was on vacation, and then had a slight case of writer's block. As always, special thanks goes to Breezie for her much appreciated help with this chapter._

_Yes, Shippo is back and he seems to be doing better. He was the one who saved Kagome from the car earlier in the story. A couple of people reviewed and told me that they were able to pick up on that – Well Done! For those who may be confused as to why I said that he seems to be doing better – please read I Will Always Be There For You. You will find the answer there._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review, Review, Review! Thanks guys!_


	9. Rescue

Chapter 9: Rescue

* * *

Inuyasha was shocked at the amount of damage the area before him had sustained. He tried to control the sinking feeling in his stomach as he parked the car and hopped out. Looking around, he finally managed to catch sight of Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was almost as shocked to see his brother doing physical labor as he was upon seeing the level of devastation. He swallowed hard and tried to push aside his fear as he approached Sesshomaru where he worked removing fallen debris.

Sesshomaru tossed aside the chunk he was carrying and stood aside, allowing the other workers and volunteers to continue their efforts without him being in their way. He looked up and saw Inuyasha approaching. Unconsciously dusting his hands on his already dirty clothing, Sesshomaru stepped forward to meet him.

"Inuyasha."

"What is going on Sesshomaru? Where is Kagome?" asked a very concerned Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru gestured towards the workers struggling to clear enough rubble away to reach the two trapped people. "As you can see, we have people moving the debris. It has been slow going as the building and surrounding area is too unstable to allow for large machinery; requiring us to dig to them out by hand." He led Inuyasha over to the side where blueprints of the building were laid out.

"Hojo believes that Kagome and Rin are most likely here," he pointed to the basement. "We are getting closer and Rin has told us that Kagome has groaned a couple of times, but has not awoken." Inuyasha felt a chill run down his spine.

"Mr. Taisho!" Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turned to see Hojo and one of the team of workers running up. Sesshomaru saw Shippo following a little behind them. "Mr. Taisho, we have almost broken through to them." Hojo was excited as he nodded to Inuyasha. "We will be able to get to them within moments!"

The worker nervously shifted side to side. "Sir, it is true that we will be able to reach them momentarily, however, due to the instability of the area, we are only able to open a small gap to their location. To make a larger one would require several days."

Inuyasha glared that the man, "What do you mean, exactly? Are you, or are you not going to get my wife and the child out from there?"

The worker gulped, his eyes flickering between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. "Umm, the gap will allow one person to be lowered through."

Shippo, who had been standing in the background, stepped forward. Inuyasha, catching sight of him for the first time, snarled. Shippo ignored him and spoke to Sesshomaru. "I am volunteering to be the one to go in after Rin and Kagome…"

"Like hell you are!" Inuyasha snarled. "You aren't supposed to be anywhere near Kagome! I ought to have your ass hauled off for violation of the restraining order!" He made a leap for the young man, but was intercepted by Sesshomaru's arm.

"Inuyasha, cease this at once!" Sesshomaru tightened the hold on his angry brother. "This doesn't help get Rin and Kagome out from beneath the building. Shippo has been a great asset to the work here."

"Are you aware of who this asshole is?" snarled Inuyasha as he continued to glare at the red-haired young man.

"Yes, Inuyasha. Shippo informed me as soon as he realized who it was that was trapped."

Inuyasha shrugged from Sesshomaru's hold. "Then you know why I don't want him anywhere near Kagome. If anyone is to go down there, it will be me." He glared at his brother, daring him to argue the point.

Sesshomaru hesitated. He didn't like the idea of sending Inuyasha into a potentially dangerous situation. An unreadable look flashed across Shippo's face before he spoke again. "Inuyasha is right, sir. He is the one who should go after Kagome. I will stay and help without violating my order." Sesshomaru studied the two men for a moment before nodding.

"Very well, Inuyasha. When they have broken through, you will be the one to go down after Rin and Kagome." Nodding his agreement, Inuyasha followed Sesshomaru back to the worksite, the others followed close behind.

Moments later, a shout of triumph was heard. They had finally broken through. Inuyasha was quickly strapped into a harness, given a hard hat, flashlight, first aid kit and a walkie-talkie.

"Take care, Inuyasha. When you get down, assess the situation as quickly as possible. I will have paramedics standing by." Inuyasha nodded and clipped the proffered rope to the harness before dropping down into the hole.

* * *

Rin gasped as she saw a beam of light appear from the ceiling _(A/N: it is nighttime now – the quake occurred late in the afternoon)_. She had heard the workers getting closer, but grew frightened when the noise seemed to stop. Had they given up and left her and Kagome behind? When the beam of light appeared, Rin stood and picked her way her way over. She watched in fascination as a man was carefully lowered to the floor.

Inuyasha unhooked the harness and took a closer look at the child in front of him. "Rin?" The dirt-smudged girl nodded. "I am Inuyasha. Kagome is my wife." Rin smiled and rushed to hug him, wrapping her arms around his leg. He patted her gently on the head. Rin grabbed one of his hands and led him over towards one end of the room; scrambling over several large sections of fallen ceiling.

Inuyasha felt his breath catch in his throat when he caught sight of Kagome's still form trapped beneath a large chunk of concrete. Rushing to her side, he relaxed slightly as he found her pulse to be strong and regular. Pulling out the walkie-talkie, Inuyasha called up to his waiting brother.

"Sesshomaru, I have found Rin and Kagome. Rin seems to be okay, but Kagome is trapped by a large piece of concrete. Her pulse is strong, but I don't know what other injuries she may have."

'_Understood. Are you going to be able to get her free?' _Inuyasha studied the scene for a moment.

"I believe so, but I will need another person to help pull her out."

'_I understand. Send the child up and someone will be down to help.'_

"Okay, just give us a moment." Inuyasha stripped out of the harness he still wore. Dropping to one knee, he looked at Rin, who was watching him cautiously.

"Rin, I am going to put this on you and then hook you onto the rope so my brother, Sesshomaru, and the others can pull you up." Rin looked thoughtful for a moment before she nodded. Inuyasha quickly strapped her into the harness, struggling on getting it adjusted to fit her small size. Once she was securely strapped in, he led her to the rope dangling from the hole. Inuyasha attached the rope and looked at Rin, who was looking around in concern.

"Are you ready, Rin?"

Rin shook her head. "Kirara?" Inuyasha was confused.

"Who is Kirara?"

"Kirara!" Rin pointed back towards Kagome, where Inuyasha had left the flashlight glowing. His eyes finally saw a small, dirty kitten snuggled against Kagome's leg, sound asleep.

Inuyasha picked his way over to Kagome's side and scooped up the bedraggled kitten, which opened its golden eyes and blinked at him sleepily. Carrying it back to the young girl, he handed Rin the kitten. Rin smiled at Inuyasha and clutched the kitten close.

"Kirara," she said with a smile. Inuyasha couldn't help but to smile back.

"Hold on to her carefully, okay?" Rin nodded. Inuyasha called and let those on the surface know that Rin was ready to be brought up.

Within moments, Rin was starting her ascent back to the outside world. Inuyasha watched until she disappeared before turning back to Kagome.

He quickly gathered the material he planned to use as a lever, setting everything in place. Inuyasha knelt down beside Kagome and brushed the hair from her face. "You're okay, Kagome. We're going to get you out in just a few minutes." He gently stroked his thumb along her cheek, noticing the dried blood that matted her hair in one spot. Kagome groaned and her eyes fluttered open. Inuyasha noticed it and smiled.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha watched with growing concern as her eyes refused to focus before they fluttered closed once more. "Come on Kagome, you have to stay with me now!" He brushed his fingers across her pulse. Was it his imagination, or did it seem fainter than it had been earlier?

Inuyasha was so focused on Kagome, that he hadn't noticed the arrival of the second person. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder that Inuyasha realized that he was no longer alone.

"Come on little brother. Let's get her out of here." Inuyasha gasped and looked up into Sesshomaru's golden gaze. Inuyasha never imagined he would see the day where his fastidious brother would voluntarily get himself dirty, much less climb into a hole in the ground. Inuyasha saw a small, sad smile flicker briefly across Sesshomaru's face as he gazed at Kagome.

"Let's do this then." Inuyasha stood and set the lever into place. "On the count of three, I will lift the stone. You pull Kagome out from underneath as quickly as you can."

Sesshomaru paced around the stone and studied it for a moment. "I think I have a better idea, Inuyasha. If we both apply pressure here," he indicated a spot a little ways away from where Inuyasha had set the lever, "we should be able to move the stone off of Kagome's body and drop it to the side. That way, we would be able to assess her for any possible spinal injury before moving her."

Inuyasha paled. 'I didn't even think about that,' he thought to himself. He nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." Quickly, the brothers reset the lever and grabbed hold.

"On the count of three. One, Two, Threeeeee." With a groan from both men, the stone laying upon Kagome's back began to lift. Moving slowly, the muscles in their arms burning with the strain and sweat dripping down their faces, they were able to rotate the piece of concrete off to the side before allowing it to crash to the floor. Dropping the now useless lever, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru quickly moved to the unconscious woman's side.

With deft fingers, Sesshomaru examined Kagome's back. "It does not appear that there is any thing broken, although she may have several cracked ribs." He trailed off as he ran his hands down her legs. Inuyasha was about to snap at him when Sesshomaru sat back. "She has good muscle tone in her legs. Nothing indicates spinal damage at this time."

Inuyasha sighed in relief. "That is good to know. She probably has a concussion though." He explained his reasoning to his brother, who nodded in agreement.

"I would be surprised if she didn't have some internal injuries as well." Sesshomaru stood to his feet and called to the surface with the walkie-talkie. He relayed Kagome's condition to the waiting paramedics.

Inuyasha gently gathered Kagome in his arms and stood. He picked his way over to the hole where he saw a rescue basket lying on the floor (one of those flat things with short rails they strap people onto and lift them out of tight areas with). He carefully laid her in the basket and began to strap her in. Sesshomaru quickly helped. Once Kagome was strapped securely into the basket, Sesshomaru called up to the surface, telling them to carefully pull her up.

Just as the slack on the rope was taken up, Inuyasha felt the start of another tremor. 'Shit! Aftershocks!' No sooner had the thought flashed through his mind when the tremors hit full force.

Everything seemed to happen at the same time: the rope went slack; Inuyasha threw his body atop of Kagome; Sesshomaru covered Inuyasha with his body. More rocks and debris fell to the floor, smashing the flashlight. The basement once again fell to darkness.

* * *

Up on the surface, Shippo and Hojo picked themselves up once the aftershocks had passed and rushed back to the hole. The two men looked in horror at one another. The hole to the basement had disappeared; not only that, but it appeared that the aftershocks caused the rubble to settle. The entire area had sunk several feet, indicating that the space where Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sesshomaru were located was now filled with rubble from the building.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Yes, I know. I am evil for leaving you with such a cliff hanger! You know what you need to do to get me to update – REVIEW! _

_Thank-you to all who are faithfully following the story and have reviewed. I really appreciate you, my readers. To answer the question as to whether Rin will be adopted by Inuyasha or Sesshomaru, the answer is…Yes. You will have to keep reading to understand._

_As always, READ, ENJOY, and REVIEW!_


	10. What does this mean?

Chapter 10: "What does this mean?"

* * *

Dream

* * *

_Inuyasha opened his eyes upon a familiar grassy hill. He spied Kagome leaning against the tree, her eyes closed. Kneeling beside her, Inuyasha brushed a hand along her cheek._

"_Kagome, angel, open your eyes for me." Kagome moaned faintly before waking._

"_Inu...Inuyasha?" He smiled and gently kissed her forehead._

"_Yeah, I am here. How are you doing?" Kagome blinked slowly and tried to assemble her thoughts._

"_I am not feeling very well. My head hurts and it is difficult for me to catch my breath." Inuyasha sat down and gently gathered her unresisting body into his arms._

"_Do you remember what happened?" Inuyasha asked her quietly._

_Kagome struggled to remember what had happened. "I had taken Sesshomaru to the shelter so he could see things for himself." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "Rin came out and met me. Suki was showing Sess around while Rin and I followed behind. Rin heard a noise in the basement and ran off. I followed her. It turned out to be a kitten in need of rescuing." Inuyasha chuckled._

"_The kitten and I have met. Rin has named her Kirara."_

_Kagome gave a small smile before she closed her eyes wearily. "I remember heading back towards the stairs and the earthquake…oh my God! Inuyasha, is Rin okay? She wasn't hurt or anything was she? Are the children okay?" Inuyasha tightened his hold as Kagome tried to stand._

"_Shh… Rin is fine, just a little dirty. None of the children or teachers were harmed. Even the kitten, Kirara is okay. You were not so lucky." Kagome had settled down again once she heard that the children were fine. She leaned her head against Inuyasha's shoulder, her eyes drifting closed once more._

"_What do you mean by that?" she asked softly._

_Inuyasha tenderly brushed Kagome's bangs from her face. "You and Rin were trapped in the basement when the building collapsed in the quake. You must have been struck in the head because we think you have a concussion."_

"_Hmm…that would explain the headache then," Inuyasha heard Kagome mumble._

_He tightened his hold once more as he continued. "When we were able to get to you and Rin, I found you trapped by a chunk of concrete lying across your back." He glanced down at Kagome, noticing that she had fallen back to sleep. Inuyasha felt a moment of concern; never in the time that they had shared the soul connection had one of them _**fallen asleep**_ during their shared dreams. What does this mean?_

"_Kagome, honey, come on. You need to wake up for me." Inuyasha lightly slapped her face, trying to get a response. Kagome only murmured before stilling once more. Inuyasha's concern grew as he failed to gain further response from the girl nestled in his arms._

"_Inuyasha." He jumped at the sound of his name being called. His eyes widened as a familiar form came forward and squatted beside him._

"_Sesshomaru? What are you doing here?" Inuyasha watched as his brother looked around in mild confusion._

"_Seeing as I do not know where _here _is, I can not tell you what I am doing here," he replied softly._

_Inuyasha tried not to stare as he struggled to determine how his brother came to be in Kagome's and his dreamscape. "This is our meeting place from the soul connection. Kagome and I meet here when we dream. I don't understand how you can be here though."_

_Sesshomaru didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, he spoke, but it was so quietly said that Inuyasha was unsure that he heard him correctly. "It is not the first time I have been here." Shaking his head in attempt to dispel his uneasiness, Sesshomaru stood. "We need to leave here and get Kagome to safety." _

_Inuyasha nodded. "I agree. All we need to do to get out of here is to wake up." Sesshomaru nodded to show his understanding. Inuyasha watched as his brother faded from view. "I wonder what this means," he said quietly to Kagome. Placing a kiss on her head, Inuyasha closed his eyes as she and the hilltop faded away.

* * *

_

End of Dream

* * *

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" The young man lay still as he tried to assess his condition. He realized that he was still lying atop of Kagome. Inuyasha opened his eyes, only to be greeted by an inky darkness.

"Sesshomaru? What happened? Are you okay?" Inuyasha pushed himself off of Kagome and tried to sit up, smacking his head against something as he did so.

"Careful, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru's voice held a faint trace of amusement. "It appears that an aftershock hit, causing the building to settle on top of us." Inuyasha could hear movement at his side. "We are cut off from the surface and the space we now occupy has been drastically reduced." Inuyasha found that as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light, he could almost make out the shape of his brother.

"Are you okay, Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, although I must admit that I am confused regarding the incident with the grassy hill."

Inuyasha was silent as he examined Kagome as best as he could in the darkness. Not able to determine much, he held her hand in his as he sat back.

"I don't understand what happened myself. I don't know how you were able to be there, especially since you don't share the soul connection." Inuyasha heard his brother grunt.

"It is something that we'll need to take up with Kaede when this mess is all over." Sesshomaru crawled over to sit beside Inuyasha and Kagome. "Were you able to talk to her there?" Inuyasha heard the curiosity as well as the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, she woke up and told me why her and Rin were in the basement to begin with; evidently, Rin dragged Kagome off to rescue a kitten."

Sesshomaru felt himself smile. "Ah, yes. That would be Kirara. Rin wanted me to hold it when she came up."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Yeah, the little brat wouldn't go until she had the kitten firmly in hand." He quickly sobered. "She told me what she remembered and I had started to tell her about getting to her when she fell asleep again." He fell silent as he felt Sesshomaru place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Sess, I am worried about her. Never in all the time we've shared this bond have either of us "slept" during a meeting. I think that there is something seriously wrong." Inuyasha felt his eyes begin to burn with unshed tears. 'Damnit! I am not going to cry!' he scolded himself.

Sesshomaru squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Inuyasha, I am not going to tell you that Kagome is okay, because we both know that she isn't. I will tell you though, that if she were in immediate danger of dying, you would know. I was there when you were in that accident and saw how Kagome reacted each time your heart stopped. I believe that as long as we can get her some help soon, everything will be okay."

Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha's breath become ragged as he tried to hold back his tears. Gently, he turned Inuyasha and wrapped both arms around him, placing a hand to the back of his brother's head and just held on tightly.

Inuyasha fought against the sobs that threatened to erupt when he felt himself gathered into Sesshomaru's arms. He wrapped his own arms around his older brother and allowed the threatened storm break over him. Sesshomaru held onto Inuyasha and rocked him as he cried.

* * *

Hojo wiped a weary hand down his face as he gazed at the work being done in front of him. At least there were plenty of willing hands. Mr. Taisho's assistant, Jaken, had called a TV station soon after the aftershocks hit, and soon had a live broadcast airing, requesting volunteers. Now there were over 100 people shifting the rubble, with another shift ready to take over in a couple of hours.

A cup of coffee was held in front of his face. Hojo looked up and saw Sango's concerned expression. "Here, although, you really should go and get some rest." He gratefully took the coffee from her with a small smile.

"I can't do that Sango. I feel like it is my fault that they are down there, trapped. I feel like I have to be here."

Sango rested a hand on his arm. "It is not your fault; no one blames you for what happened here. You know that Kagome would tell you the same if she were here."

Hojo patted the hand where it lay on his arm. "I know Sango, thank-you." She nodded and walked back to the tent where she was helping serve coffee and food to the workers. When Miroku and she had heard that Kagome, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were trapped, they dropped Kanaye off at the neighbor's and rushed over. When they got here, they found that Koga and Ayame had done the same with the twins. Sango sighed as she entered the tent. She would rather have been out helping dig down to her friends, but at least Miroku and Koga were there working on the front lines.

Ayame handed her a cup of coffee and the two women sat at one of the tables. "Have you heard anything yet?" Sango shook her head.

"Not yet." She looked over at the corner where a little girl slept snuggled up with a now clean kitten. Sango, Miroku, Koga, and Ayame had arrived in time to witness the child scream and throw a fit when Hojo tried to get her to leave with Suki. "So she finally fell asleep I see," she said softly.

"Yeah, about 20 minutes ago. She kept crying for Kagome and the "nice men"." Ayame went over and tucked a blanket around her small frame. "I was surprised that she refused to leave like that."

I'm not, at least not too surprised." Sango took a sip of the rapidly cooling coffee before she continued. "You know that she was the one originally trapped with Kagome, right?" Ayame stared at Sango.

"You're kidding me!" Sango shook her head.

"No. Hojo told me that Rin and Kagome are practically unseperatable. When the building collapsed, they were trapped in the basement. Inuyasha went in and was able to get the child and the kitten out. Sesshomaru went in to help free Kagome, when the shockwaves hit. It was all Hojo could do to keep Rin from running back into the building." Sango smiled gently at the sleeping child.

Ayame looked thoughtful as the two finished up their coffee. "Hey, Sango, do you think that Inuyasha and Kagome will adopt Rin when this is all behind them?"

Sango stared at her in astonishment. "I don't know." Slowly, a large smile spread across her face. "I think that it would do the two of them good."

Ayame returned her grin. "I think that it would be good for all three of them," she said as she nodded to the sleeping child.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Well, I didn't leave you with a big cliffy this time, but I did leave you with the question as to what Sesshomaru was doing in Inuyasha's and Kagome's dream. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated! Please Read, Enjoy, and Review. Thanks._

_As those of you who are following this story on MM may know – you are not receiving notice when I update. If you would like me to email you when I post new chapters, please let me know in a review and you must include your email address. Thank-you and enjoy!_


	11. Free

_A/N: This chapter contains a medical procedure. I am not in the medical profession and do not claim that I am very knowledgeable regarding these types of procedures. If I am totally off and offend someone, I apologize. Keep in mind that this is a fictional story and that I, as the author, am able to take certain "artistic license". Enough said. Enjoy!

* * *

_

Chapter 11: Free

* * *

Sesshomaru found himself awakened by Inuyasha's gasping. He could make out his brother's body as he sat trying to gain his breath.

"Inuyasha, what is wrong?" he asked in concern.

"Sess, it…it is hard…to breathe," Inuyasha gasped out.

Sesshomaru stared at him for a moment, and then glanced towards Kagome. Inuyasha immediately understood the thoughts running through his brother's head.

"Oh shit! Kagome!" The two men focused on the unconscious woman. A quick check found that her breathing had become labored and her pulse had weakened.

"Inuyasha, I believe that Kagome's lungs are collapsing due to blood in her chest cavity. If we do not relieve the pressure, she will soon suffocate."

Inuyasha blanched. "What…can we do? There is…no way…they can get to…us in time." He bent over as he tried to alleviate the pressure preventing his lungs from filling.

Sesshomaru thought quickly. "Inuyasha, do you still have the first aid kit?"

"Yeah, why?" Inuyasha pulled it out and handed it to Sesshomaru.

He didn't say anything as he tore into it, trying to find what he was looking for by touch. Pulling out several packets and a knife, Sesshomaru cussed softly as he looked feverishly for something, but was not finding it.

"Sess…what are you…looking for? What…what are you…going to do?"

"Inuyasha, do you happen to have a pen, or something that I can use as a hollow tube?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment, before digging into his pocket and pulling out a slide whistle. One of his students had thought to cause a disruption during their final test, and he had confiscated it. Inuyasha handed it to his brother, who snatched it and broke it apart. "What are…you going…to do?" he wheezed.

"I am going to try to put in a chest tube to help drain the fluid from Kagome's chest." As he spoke, Sesshomaru tore open packages, using the alcohol wipes to clean the knife and whistle as best as possible.

Inuyasha tried to take a deep breath, only to choke. When he finally was able to stop coughing, he put a hand to his brother's shoulder. "Are you sure you…can do this, Sess?" Sesshomaru stopped and stared into the darkness.

"Do we have any choice?" he asked softly. "Inuyasha, I need you to hold on to Kagome when I do this. I don't think that she'd be able to move, but I would rather not take that chance." Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha move to hold Kagome down by her shoulders.

"Okay, I am ready when you are." Sesshomaru took a deep breath and carefully felt along Kagome's side, trying to find the correct spot. He quickly dug into her flesh with the knife, thanking the gods that it was sharp, and cut deeply. Poking a finger into the hole he made, Sesshomaru could feel the warmth of Kagome's blood as it tried to escape past the blockage. Quickly removing his finger, he jammed the whistle into the wound. Blood poured rapidly through the small tube for several moments before tapering off. Sesshomaru heard Inuyasha's breathing ease – indicating that Kagome was also breathing easier. He felt for her pulse.

"Her pulse is stronger, but it is not as strong as I would like." Sesshomaru worked to secure the makeshift chest tube and then covered it with a piece of gauze.

"She is breathing easier, Sess. It worked. Thank-you." Inuyasha took a deep breath, glad that the suffocating feeling had eased.

Sesshomaru sat back and started putting the strewn contents of the kit away. "She is not out of danger yet, but at least we have bought her a little more time." Silence fell as the brothers prayed for a quick rescue.

* * *

A shout from the worksite brought everyone running. The second shift had started about a half hour ago, allowing the weary first shift workers a chance to get some much need rest. Hojo was the first to arrive, with Koga, Miroku and the others right behind.

"What is it? What did you find?" Hojo asked anxiously.

One of the volunteers pointed to a piece of rope lying amongst the rubble. "We have found the rope that was tied to the rescue basket, sir. We are almost there!"

"What are we waiting for then?" asked Miroku, all signs of exhaustion erased. "Let's get them out!" He jumped back into the worksite, Koga and Hojo along side. Ayame and Sango hugged each other and watched as the workers renewed their efforts as the night sky started to lighten, heralding the dawning of a new day.

As the sun made its appearance in the morning sky, a voice was heard from beneath the dwindling pile of rubble.

"Hey up there! It is about time you got to us!"

"Inuyasha, you old dog, is everyone okay?" Koga asked with a large grin. He should have known that his friend wouldn't let a little thing like a building falling on top of him slow him down.

"Yeah, Sess and I are fine. You need to hurry and get Kagome out though," Inuyasha's voice answered.

After conferring with the foreman, Hojo called down to them, "We will have you out shortly. We need you to protect yourselves as we remove the last pieces that are trapping you."

"Understood. Make sure to have the paramedics ready for Kagome!"

The work on the building increased as everyone began working with a renewed sense of purpose as they found their goal in sight.

Sango and Ayame watched in anticipation as the final chunk trapping their friends was removed. Within moments, the basket with an unconscious Kagome was lifted to the surface and quickly whisked away by the paramedics. The two brothers emerged from their prison, blinking at the brightness of the new day. Cheers erupted once everyone was free.

Inuyasha spied the paramedics loading Kagome onto a waiting ambulance and hurried over. Sesshomaru allowed himself to be led to a bench where he was handed a very welcome cup of coffee. Sipping it, he closed his eyes and sighed in appreciation. The group of friends gathered around him and took in his appearance.

Sesshomaru was covered in dirt and it looked like he had blood on his hands and pants. His eyes appeared bruised from the dark circles lying beneath them and the exhaustion that lined his face.

He opened his eyes and gave a brief accounting of all that had passed while they were trapped. As he was finished, a small voice called out crying "Sess-sama, Sess-sama!" and Rin came running up and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Where is 'Gome?" Rin asked, her bright brown-eyes searching for her friend.

"Kagome was hurt and has been taken to the doctor." Sesshomaru stood to his feet, keeping a hand on the child's head. "I do not know about all of you, but I am going to follow my brother to the hospital."

"Rin is going too!" Sesshomaru looked down and saw the child's determination and nodded.

"Of course. Jaken, bring the car." The assistant, who had been standing to one side as his boss recovered, jumped to follow his order.

Hojo smiled at the group. "I will be over in a bit. I need to mop up here." Sango, Ayame and their exhausted husbands nodded and headed for their cars. They all would go and see how Kagome was doing.

* * *

"Here, go get cleaned up Inuyasha." He jumped as a set of clean clothes was dropped into his lap. Inuyasha looked up and glared at his once again immaculate brother. Sesshomaru had managed to get a shower and a change of clothes before coming to the hospital. Inuyasha realized just how filthy he was. Nodding his thanks, he stood and walked off to find someplace he could clean up.

Sesshomaru took the seat his brother had abandoned and looked over at Rin, who was looking through some picture books. He smiled softly at the child before allowing his gaze to pass over the others who were gathered in the waiting room. Sango and Miroku were dozing in front of him, while Ayame lay with her head in Koga's lap, while Koga stared blankly at the wall.

A short time later, a now clean Inuyasha came back and started to pace nervously. "What is taking so long?" he complained softly.

"Patience, Inuyasha. The doctors are only doing their job. They will inform us as soon as they have news." Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru and tried to summon a smile.

"Thank-you Sess, for everything." Sesshomaru nodded and closed his eyes.

A few hours later, the doctor came and asked for Mr. Taisho. Inuyasha stood to his feet. "Is Kagome okay? What is going on?"

The elderly doctor smiled. "Your wife is going to be just fine. She has a concussion, a broken rib, some minor internal bleeding and some extensive bruising. She had also suffered a collapsed lung, but some quick thinking in the field took care of that." Inuyasha sighed in relief.

"When can we see her?" asked Miroku. Everyone had awoken when the doctor came in. The kindly, old woman smiled at the group.

"She is still asleep, but you can come in for a moment as long as you don't disturb her." She turned and led them down the hall to a door and nodded to them. "I will be by a bit later to check on her."

Sango and Ayame opened the door and slowly entered the room, Miroku, Koga, and Inuyasha followed close behind. Sesshomaru brought up the rear, carrying a quiet Rin in his arms.

Inuyasha went over to the bed where Kagome lay sleeping. He gently gathered her hand in his, careful of the IV in her hand. Sango and Miroku stood on the other side; Sango reached out and brushed Kagome's bangs from her forehead. "I am glad that you are okay, Kagome. You hurry up and get well." Sango bent down and kissed the sleeping girl's forehead before allowing herself to be pulled in to Miroku's embrace.

Ayame stood with Koga's arms wrapped around her waist as tears fell down her face. Koga stood quiet for a moment and then said softly, "Inuyasha, we will be back later. We need to get back to the twins. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call, okay?" Miroku and Sango also indicated that they needed to go as well.

Inuyasha nodded, not taking his eyes off of Kagome. "Thanks for helping us you guys." Murmuring their farewells and promises to return later, the friends took their leave.

Sesshomaru and Rin had stood in the background, watching the others quietly. Once everyone else had left, Rin slid out from Sesshomaru's arms and walked quietly to Kagome's bed. She looked at Inuyasha for a moment before she climbed up and snuggled against Kagome's side. Kagome seemed to realize that the child was there as she wrapped her arm around Rin's small body and drew her close. Rin smiled sleepily and soon drifted off. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru watched Rin's and Kagome's interaction in silence.

"It would seem that Kagome finds comfort in the child. Just as the child finds comfort in her." Inuyasha nodded.

"I think I will ask Kagome if she would like to adopt her when she wakes. I don't think that either of them will mind. I know that I wouldn't mind calling her my daughter." He drew a blanket over the two, placing a kiss on both of their cheeks. Sesshomaru smiled at his brother's tender gesture.

'It is about time I became an uncle,' he thought to himself.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that you like this chapter. Kagome was finally rescued and the doctors say that she will be okay. You will have to stay tuned to see what will happen next._

_If you would like me to email you when I update this story, please review and make sure to leave an email address. I will send out a message when I add chapters._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	12. Family

Chapter 12: Family

* * *

The woman closed the file and sat back, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the nervous woman standing in front of her. The woman behind the desk would have been considered beautiful; long, dark hair; slender figure; and deep, brown eyes. Yes, she would have been considered a beauty but for the weight of the anger and hatred that she had carried and nursed for the past six years.

She allowed a malicious smirk to spread across her face as she watched the woman shift and swallow nervously under her glare.

"I see that you have managed to acquire most of the remaining properties, Kagura. Yet you have failed to get all of them. I am disappointed in you."

Kagura gulped and tried to hide her growing unease. She clasped her hands together in attempt to hide their trembling.

"My apologies, Kikyo. I was sure that with the damage caused by the earthquake, I would be able to convince the holdouts to sell. I believe that a few more will yet decide to take the money, but I am not getting anywhere with the children's shelter. The director insists that he will rebuild on the site. In fact, the builders are already setting the new foundation."

Kikyo glared at her sister-in-law as she spoke, her voice dripping with venom. "Ah yes, the children's shelter; the very building that collapsed on Kagome and Inuyasha. Even there, you failed me, Kagura. You had the perfect opportunity to kill them with no one the wiser, and yet they still live."

"There were too many people around for me to make a move. If I had done something then, I would have been caught – and that would have led anyone looking right back to you," Kagura sneered. She knew that Kikyo didn't want any traces of her involvement; that was why she was buying the properties using the network of small companies that were controlled by the Onigumo Empire.

Kikyo sighed and closed her eyes. Silence stretched between the two women. After a long moment, Kikyo sat forward and looked at Kagura. "I want you to do everything in your power to get those remaining properties. My investor is getting impatient. I will deal with the children's shelter myself." Kagura nodded. She knew what Kikyo meant by "everything"; it was time to call in Goshinki and Muso.

"Make sure to deal with Inuyasha and Kagome as well. I will not tolerate any more mistakes."

* * *

Kagome was getting impatient. She was ready to leave the hospital and go back to her own home. It had been four days since she was pulled from the rubble and now had been cleared for release.

Just as she reached for the phone, the door burst open and a small blur raced in and jumped upon the bed. "Mama 'Gome! Mama 'Gome! Rin gets to go home with you! Rin finally has a family!" Kagome raised her eyes and saw a smiling Inuyasha standing in the doorway, holding a set of papers. Kagome's eyes brightened. Could it be? Was Rin really theirs?

"It is final! I have the adoption papers right here," Inuyasha grinned, waving them in the air.

"Inuyasha, thank-you! This means so much to me!" Kagome drew her new daughter into her arms and squeezed tightly; tears of happiness running freely down her cheeks. Rin wrapped her small arms around Kagome and returned the embrace before wriggling away. The young girl looked at her new mother, tilting her head in confusion.

"Mama 'Gome, why are you crying? Are you sad?" Rin reached out and touched one of the tears as it slowly made its way down Kagome's face.

"No dear, I am not sad. I am crying because I am very, very happy." Kagome kissed the girl on her head and smiled at her daughter.

Inuyasha stood back, content just to watch his family.

_Family_.

Inuyasha shook his head slightly in disbelief. He still found it difficult to accept the fact that he and Kagome now had a child of their own, when only a few days ago, he thought that he was going to loose everything. Inuyasha was brought out of his musings as a knock sounded on the open door and Sesshomaru stepped into the room.

"Hello Kagome, Inuyasha, Rin. Are you ready to go?" Inuyasha looked towards Kagome, who smiled at the two brothers.

"Hello Sess, and yes, I am ready to get out of here." Rin bounced off the bed and ran to Sesshomaru.

"Sess-sama! Sess-sama! Guess what! Rin gets to go home with Mama 'Gome and Papa Inu!" Sesshomaru knelt down and smiled at the exuberant child.

"That is wonderful news, Rin. Now that you are family, please do not call me 'sama'." Rin scrunched up her face in confusion.

"If Rin can't call you Sess-sama, what does Rin call you?" She thought for a moment. Sesshomaru was about to speak when her eyes lit up and she said "I know! Rin will call you Papa Sess!"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. Papa Sess? Inuyasha tried not to laugh, but was unable to hold back a snicker. Kagome smiled gently at Sesshomaru's discomfort.

Rin wrapped her arms around the stunned man and gave him a hug. Sesshomaru gently returned the embrace. The child stepped back, beaming at the three adults. "Rin is so lucky! She has a family now – Mama 'Gome, Papa Inu, and Papa Sess." Satisfied that all was right in the world, Rin took a seat on a chair and waited for the adults to take her home.

* * *

Hojo opened the post office box and retrieved his mail. Leaning against the wall, he shuffled through it, noticing a card addressed to him with an unfamiliar post mark. Hojo reserved himself from opening it until he got back to Suki and the children.

Walking down the street, he paused a moment in front of a large office building. A smile slowly spread upon his face. The building belonged to Sesshomaru Taisho, who had turned several floors into makeshift shelters for those displaced by the quake. He, Suki, and the children from the shelter occupied one entire floor; every comfort possible was made available as the arduous task of rebuilding began.

One of the good things that had occurred from the quake was all of the media attention that was bringing in donations for the new building as well as offers of adoption; of which, Rin was the first, with many more in the works.

Hojo entered the building and walked to the office/living area he and his wife were using and set the mail on the desk. Taking a seat, he picked up the card, opened it and started to read.

_Dear Cousin Hojo,_

_I know that it has been awhile since we last saw or spoke to each other, but I have been thinking of you lately. I saw your plight on the television the other day and thought I'd write._

_I would like to arrange a meeting with you to discuss some possible resources I can offer you. I await your call._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Kikyo_

Hojo smiled and picked up the phone. It was nice being able to call upon family when help was needed.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I was pleasantly surprised at the response I have received on the last chapter. I want to thank all of you who have reviewed – it helps me know that people are enjoying the story – that I am not just exercising my fingers (by typing). This story is rapidly approaching the 100 review mark!  _

_As always Read, Enjoy, and Review. _


	13. Family Conversations

Chapter 13: Family Conversations

* * *

Hojo drove up to the address he head been given. In front of him stood a beautiful manor house nestled among several acres of land. He whistled appreciatively. "I guess Kikyo has done quite well for herself."

The gate keeper asked for his identification before allowing Hojo to drive through the gate. He slowly drove up the winding driveway and pulled to a stop in front of the house. A young man wearing some sort of uniform hurried up and told Hojo that he'd take care of his vehicle. Eyes wide, taking in the opulence that surrounded him, Hojo was met at the door and led to the library to await Kikyo's arrival.

The room was filled with bookshelves stretching to the ceiling. Hojo spied several priceless books amongst the collection, as well as more modern novels. Scattered along the shelves were pieces of pottery, figurines and other small items that looked like they belonged in a museum. A mahogany desk stood serenely in one corner while comfortable chairs were gathered around a small fireplace.

Hojo was wandering around, checking out the various books when the door opened. Turning, he saw a maid carrying a tea service, followed by Kikyo. The maid placed the tea service on a small side table and quickly took her leave. Kikyo waited until the door shut once more before she smiled and said "Welcome to my home, cousin. I am glad that you could join me."

Hojo stepped forward and gave her a quick hug, stepping back quickly when he felt her stiffen. "Hello Kikyo. It has been a long time since I have heard from you. How have you been?"

Kikyo smiled once more and led him to the chairs, taking the one next to the tea service and started pouring while Hojo seated himself. Handing him a cup, she took a sip before she answered.

"I am doing very well, as you can probably see. When my fiancée was killed, I found that I had been named his beneficiary and inherited his estate and business. Over the years, I have made the business he left behind into a vast empire." Hojo looked at her in awe, impressed that she had done so well for herself.

"That is wonderful, Kikyo. I am happy that you have been so successful!" Kikyo blushed lightly and set her cup down.

"Thank-you Hojo. That means a lot coming from you. Tell me about yourself; what have you been doing for the past few years?"

Hojo sat back and told his cousin about meeting Suki, getting married and taking over the children's shelter. Kikyo listened, asking questions here and there. When he finished, she nodded as if coming to a decision.

"Like I mentioned in the letter, I am aware of the problems resulting from the earthquake. I believe that I have the perfect solution to your difficulty." Kikyo stood and walked over to the desk, picked up a folder and handed it to Hojo.

Hojo took it and looked inside. He quickly looked up at her in confusion. "I don't understand, Kikyo. What is this?"

"That, my dear cousin, is the deed to a piece of property and a check that should cover the cost of constructing a state-of-the-art facility." Kikyo tried to keep from smirking in triumph. There would be no way he could turn this offer down.

Hojo stared at her in shock before rereading the documents in the file. After a few moments, he closed the file and handed it back to her. "I am sorry Kikyo, but I must decline your most generous offer." Kikyo just stared at him in confusion, ignoring the folder he held out to her.

"What do you mean you must decline?"

Hojo smiled ruefully. "Don't get me wrong Kikyo; your offer is greatly appreciated. However, I have no desire, nor need to locate the shelter anywhere other than where it once stood. If I were to move to the location you have offered us, it would place the shelter out of reach of those who need it. I will admit that the money would be helpful, but with the donations coming in and the aid of Mr. Taisho, the new shelter is already being built."

Kikyo tried to keep the building fury inside her from erupting. She turned away from Hojo and struggled to regain her composure. Hojo sat quietly and waited for her to say something. Finally becoming uncomfortable with the silence, he stood to his feet.

"Thank-you for your hospitality, Kikyo, but I must be getting back." He laid the folder on his vacated chair. Kikyo turned and gave him a cold smile and shook Hojo's hand.

"The offer will stand if you decide to change your mind." Hojo nodded his understanding.

"Thank-you, but I doubt I will." Kikyo walked him to the front door where his car stood idling. "Don't be a stranger, Kikyo. I would like for you to come to dinner soon and meet Suki." Kikyo pasted a pleasant smile on her face and nodded. She watched as he drove off before she went back into the library. Silence fell once more upon the manor, only to be broken moments later by the sound of the tea service shattering against the wall.

* * *

"Good night, sweet heart. Sweet dreams," Kagome said quietly as she covered Rin with a fuzzy blanket before turning out the light. With one last glance at her daughter, Kagome walked back into the living room.

"Kagome, dear, you should sit down and rest." Kaede placed a time worn hand on the woman's shoulder. Kagome gave her a weary smile and allowed herself to be seated upon the couch. Kaede handed her a cup of tea which Kagome sipped thankfully.

Kaede had been waiting for them when Sesshomaru had brought them all home from the hospital. It was to "help Kagome adjust to motherhood while she recovered from her ordeal". Kagome had been too tired to question it, but Sesshomaru and Inuyasha exchanged knowing glances.

"Thank-you Kaede. Where are the guys?" Kagome took another sip of the relaxing tea. Kaede chuckled as she returned from the kitchen, carrying a cup for herself. Taking a seat in the recliner, she took a sip before she answered.

"They are picking up a "few" last minute items for Rin. They should be home soon."

Kagome smiled. "She hasn't even been ours for a day and those two are already spoiling her." The two women laughed. Kagome tried to stifle a yawn that attempted to slip past. "Sorry about that, Kaede. I guess I am a bit tired."

"That is understandable. Your body is still trying to recover from your experience. You go ahead and lie down and rest. I will make sure the boys don't wake you or the child."

Kagome yawned again as she stretched out on the couch. "Thank-you for everything," she said sleepily, her eyes closing as sleep quickly overtook her.

"It is my pleasure, dear." Kaede smiled gently at the young woman now asleep. She stood and draped a light blanket over Kagome's figure and took the tea cups back into the kitchen.

A short time later, Inuyasha opened the door and struggle to get inside without dropping anything. Sesshomaru, similarly laden, followed close behind. Kaede bustled up to them, shushing the brothers as she relieved Inuyasha of a package that threatened to fall.

"Quiet you two! Both Kagome and Rin are sleeping, and you are making enough noise to wake the dead." The brothers, chastised by her scolding, quietly deposited the sacks in the hallway where they could be dealt with in the morning. Inuyasha dug through one, finally pulling out a stuffed dog and tip-toed into Rin's new bedroom.

He stood over the bed where Rin lay sleeping. Kirara opened her eyes, blinking slowly a few times before snuggling back into Rin's warmth. Inuyasha smiled and tucked the stuffed animal under Rin's arm and kissed her forehead before leaving the room.

He found Kaede and Sesshomaru sitting in the kitchen. He pulled out a chair and joined them.

"What is it you two wished to talk to me about?" Kaede asked when neither brother said anything for several moments.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha looked at one another; Sesshomaru gave a slight nod, indicating that the story was Inuyasha's to tell.

"While we were trapped beneath the building, Kagome and I connected through the soul bond and met in our dreamscape." Kaede leaned forward and listened attentively as Inuyasha described the grassy hill, the tree, the meeting and conversation with Kagome, and her 'falling asleep'. When Inuyasha started to relate the part when Sesshomaru joined them, Kaede sat back with a slight gasp. Inuyasha paused and looked at her questioningly. She told him to finish the tale and she'd explain momentarily.

"And he said that it wasn't the first time he had been in our dreamscape." Inuyasha sat back and folded his arms across his chest. "Okay, so how did Sess end up in our dream?" Kaede ignored him for the moment, her eyes staring off into the distance.

"Sesshomaru, you said that you had been there before?"

"Yes, although that was the first time that I had seen anyone there. The couple of times prior to that, I only heard voices, but they were never loud enough for me to determine what they were saying."

Kaede sat tapping her finger on the table as she thought. Inuyasha felt his patience begin to disappear.

"Why in the hell is he in our connection!" Sesshomaru gifted his brother with a scowl before refocusing on Kaede.

"There is only one explanation as to Sesshomaru's presence in the soul connection." She looked at the two men sitting before her, both of them trying not to show their rising curiosity.

"And that would be…?"

Kaede took a deep breath before answering. "A soul connection has been formed between the three of you."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: What a cliffy! Sorry it took so long for me to update; I was struggling a bit with this chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it! I also just wanted to say "Welcome back" to my wonderful beta reader, Breezie; I missed you!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	14. A Threeway Connection

Chapter 14: A Three-way Connection

* * *

_Last Time: "A soul connection has formed between the three of you."

* * *

_

"What do you mean by that? How in the hell is that even possible?" Inuyasha yelled, only to be hushed with the reminder that Rin and Kagome were sleeping.

Sesshomaru sat quietly, seemingly unaffected by the announcement. However, if one knew what to look for, one could tell he was deeply disturbed by the news. Kaede remained silent as she watched the two men come to grips with her announcement.

Inuyasha stood up and started to pace before turning back to Kaede. "Explain!"

"If you sit back down, Inuyasha, I will do what I can to explain." She stood up and poured herself another cup of tea. Kaede turned and leaned against the counter, giving Inuyasha a stern look until he sat once again. "Some how, the soul connection you share with Kagome has expanded to include Sesshomaru."

"How is this possible? The initial spell was never cast, was it?" Sesshomaru struggled to gain control over his confusion. 'I never asked for this,' he thought to himself.

Kaede gave Sesshomaru a small smile full of understanding. She knew that the idea of the soul connection bothered him and it appeared that Inuyasha was just as displeased.

"As you both know, soul connections are very rare. There are less than a handful of documented cases. None of them ever mentioned anything about the connection being formed with more than two people. When I was doing the research for the initial spell for you, Inuyasha, I came upon a tale that indicated that a connection between multiple people was possible, but nothing was ever substantiated. According to the tale, those involved were willing participants, but the records didn't say if the connections happened at the same time or not."

"I still don't understand why it happened. I never asked for this and I am positive that Inuyasha didn't either," Sesshomaru stated.

Kaede took her seat at the table once again while Inuyasha glared alternately between his brother and Kaede. "I don't think that we will ever really know for certain, but I will tell you my theory. I believe that the presence of the permanent soul connection made Kagome and Inuyasha more susceptible to the possibility of another. The fact that you two are brothers and that you, Sesshomaru, obviously care for Kagome…" Kaede was interrupted before she could finish the sentence by Inuyasha's growl. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and shook her head once Inuyasha looked at her.

"If you would allow me to finish, Inuyasha," she waited for his reluctant nod before continuing. "As I was saying, Sess obviously cares for Kagome on _some level, _not in anyway inappropriate of course, and I believe that Kagome feels the same way; all these contribute to what I believe are ideal conditions. It could also be that the earthquake and the resulting entrapment also played a role in the connection forming."

"Could the fact that I have a strong family history of powerful monks and priestesses also have played a part in this?" All eyes turned and focused on the quiet voice coming from the doorway. Kagome stood, eyes downcast, a faint blush tinting her cheeks with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Inuyasha rose from his chair and walked over, drawing her into his arms.

"How long have you been standing here?" he asked softly.

"For most of it. I woke up and came in to get something to drink when Kaede started talking about how her theory regarding the three-way connection." Inuyasha led her over to the table and sat her down. Kaede handed the young woman a cup of tea that she had prepared once she realized that Kagome had heard the conversation. Kagome took the tea cup from her and gave her a grateful smile.

"How do you feel about all of this, Kagome?" Even though Kaede asked the question, it was the brothers who most wanted to hear her answer.

Kagome blushed, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Umm, I have a question before I answer that. Because we share the connection, does that mean we also have to share physical relations?" Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha choked and turned red. Kaede just laughed.

"No dear. The soul connection does not require physical relations, after all, you and Inuyasha forged your connection while you both were still children." She chuckled at the relief that flooded all three faces.

"In that case, I guess I don't mind, but I am not sure how this will change things."

"It actually won't change much. Sesshomaru's bond is not yet permanent and can be broken within the initial 10 year period. For now, he will sense strong emotions from both you and Inuyasha, just as you will sense his; he will also be able to access the dreamscape."

Inuyasha, standing behind Kagome, saw her glance at Sesshomaru nervously. Sesshomaru also caught her look and gave her a comforting smile before taking one of her hands in his. Inuyasha sighed in resignation.

"There is something that still doesn't make sense, Kaede. If Sesshomaru shares the soul connection, then why wasn't he affected when Kagome's lung collapsed while we were trapped?"

"He was not affected simply because the bond is not yet permanent." Kaede stopped and sat for a moment, trying to remember something else that she had read.

"If I remember correctly, in the tale regarding the multiple connections, it was believed that the death of one of the people in the bond would not cause the immediate death of the others, as it would in the regular soul connection. The presence of the other members offset the shock to the survivors' systems." The three nodded in understanding. That made sense.

Kagome yawned and stood up. "I'm sorry guys, but I am heading to bed. Thank-you Kaede, for explaining this for us." She hugged the older woman before turning to the others. "I'll see you in the morning."

Inuyasha kissed her and said "Good night, angel. Sleep well."

"Good night Kagome," Sesshomaru said softly. With one last smile, Kagome headed for the hallway. Pausing in the door, she turned and ran back, giving Sesshomaru a quick hug, and then hurried to the bedroom.

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared after the young woman in surprise. Kaede chuckled softly to herself. 'Life won't ever be the same around here,' she thought with a grin as she rinsed out the cups.

Inuyasha had followed Kagome to make sure that both she and Rin were doing okay. Sesshomaru stood to his feet and gathered his belongings with the intent of heading home. Kaede stopped him with a quiet word. "Sess, if something were to happen to either Inuyasha or to Kagome before the bond becomes permanent, the other will follow in death. There is a way to make the bond permanent, preventing that from happening. I will talk to you about it in the morning."

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kaede sighed. "I just have this feeling that the bond between you must be fully in place; that we do not have the time to allow it to become permanent on its own."

"You have nothing more than this, a feeling?" Sesshomaru was confused, but he knew that when Kaede got a strong feeling about something, it was a good idea to heed it.

Kaede looked at him sadly. "I am sorry, but that is all I have right now. If I can determine anything more, I will let you know."

"Very well. I will await your call in the morning then." Sesshomaru gave Kaede a brief hug and kissed her forehead. She returned the hug and then let him out the door. Once she made sure the door was locked, Kaede turned out the lights and headed off to bed.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Uh oh, Kaede has a feeling that something is going to happen, wonder what that is… You will just have to wait and see. _

_Sorry for the short chapter, but I was having trouble with it. As it stands, I still am not really happy with it, but wanted to get the update out to you all in a timely manner. And as always, my deepest appreciation goes to my reviewers and to my wonderful beta, Breezie, who all give me the incentive to continue to write._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	15. Back to Work

Chapter 15: Back to Work

* * *

The stillness of the night was broken by a splash followed moments later by the sound of a vehicle driving away.

"Well that is the last one Muso." The dark haired driver looked over at the speaker, hiding the faint shiver that ran down his spine at Goshinki's look of pleased satisfaction.

Muso sighed and shook his head. "That is the last of the homeowners. We still need to take care of Inuyasha and Kagome." Muso fell silent as he maneuvered through the dark back streets; taking a roundabout route back to their hideout. He tried to hold back another sigh. He really wished that he could get out of this whole business. Muso hated the fact that he was nothing more than an assassin for hire; but he knew that Goshinki and the others would never let him go free.

Muso looked over at Goshinki as he started to chuckle. "We can always take them swimming, just like that last holdout."

"Get real, man! Kagura told us to be extra careful that nothing could be pointed to us, and therefore back to the Onigumo Empire."

"You worry too much, Muso." Goshinki pulled out his gun and checked to make sure it was well loaded. "All we need to do is make it look like a botched burglary. Bang! Bang! All obstacles are removed."

Muso didn't reply. Sometimes, he felt, Goshinki was too blood thirsty for comfort. "I'll talk to Kagura in the morning and we'll make a plan. In the mean time, we need to lay low until any possible heat has blown over."

Goshinki just gave him a feral smile and pointed his gun at Muso's head, saying "Bang!"

* * *

Kagome breathed a sigh of pleasure as she stepped into the newspaper building. It had been two weeks since she had been released from the hospital and she was more than ready to get back to work.

"Welcome back, Kagome! You are looking quite well for someone who had a building fall on them!" Kagome smiled at the receptionist as she picked up her messages.

"Thanks, Mai. It feels good to be getting back to work again."

Mai smiled fondly at Kagome. "How is that little girl you adopted doing?" She watched as Kagome's eyes softened and a soft smile lit up her face.

"Rin is doing wonderful. In fact, that is the only bad thing about returning to work; not being able to spend as much time with her. Aunt Kaede has come down to stay with us to watch Rin while Inuyasha and I are working."

"I am glad to hear that Kagome. Congratulations on the adoption and welcome back." Mai gave Kagome a quick hug and turned to answer the ringing phone.

Kagome smiled and headed for her desk; fielding the many calls of "welcome back" from coworkers.

Taking a seat, she quickly sorted through her messages. Out of the pile, only two caught her interest. It looked like a couple of her contacts found some information for her.

Making a few phone calls, she set meeting times with each of them; the first one at a coffee shop in just over an hour, the other was scheduled for lunchtime.

"Well, I better call Inuyasha then," Kagome thought to herself. He had reminded her of the promise she had made about not going anywhere related to the story without some sort of back up.

She picked up the phone and gave him a call. Inuyasha promised to be there and watch her back. Kagome thanked him and hung up. Looking at the clock, she found she had some time to work on the back log of paperwork that covered her desk.

* * *

With Inuyasha settled where he could keep an eye on her without intruding, Kagome sat sipping her latte, waiting for her contact to show.

Moments later a young man with blond streaks in his shoulder length dark hair entered and sat down across from her. Kagome smiled at the young man she only knew as Hebi (snake). She met him while doing the story on gangs. He had grown up in the same gang that his father had been in. With Kagome's help, he was finally able to leave the gang, but he still kept in touch with some of his buddies.

Hebi placed a small package on the table and gave her a rakish grin. "Hey Kags! It is good to see you doing well."

"Hello Hebi. You are looking quite well yourself. I like what you have done with your hair." He colored briefly and ran a hand through it.

"You like? My girl convinced me to do it and I am not sure I like it."

"I think it suits you."

Kagome and Hebi exchanged some small talk before he got down to the reason for the meeting.

"The word on the streets is that those people who haven't sold their houses have disappeared."

"What do you mean, disappeared?" Kagome asked. She didn't like the sounds of that.

"I mean, they are just gone. Granted, most of the houses were destroyed in the quake, but even last week there were those who had returned to their residences. Now those same residences are empty."

Kagome nibbled her thumb as she tried to think this through. "Could they have simply moved away?" Hebi nodded.

"Maybe some of them, but there was a group of three old farts that swore up and down that they would never leave the homes that they were born in until the day they died. Old man Usagi was just snapping at the city officials on Friday, now he is nowhere to be found."

"I see; very disturbing news." Kagome fell silent as she took another sip of her latte.

Hebi pushed the package he had brought with him over to Kagome. "Here. One of my buddies found this half-buried where some of the construction for the new shelter is taking place."

Kagome picked it up and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a set of prayer beads that seemed to give off a feeling of great age. She looked back up at Hebi, curiosity in her gaze.

"You said that he found these half-buried? Was there anything else with them?"

Hebi smiled at her, pleased with her reaction towards the beads. "Yeah, he found them in the dirt. He gave 'em to me and I washed them up a bit. They were so dirty, I thought that someone had connected a bunch of rocks together. As far as I know, there wasn't anything else with them."

Kagome sat staring at the beads, running them through her fingers. "If you or your buddies find anything else like this, please let me know."

Hebi looked at her, a hint of surprise in his chocolate eyes. "Yeah, okay. I will keep my eyes and ears open and see what I can find out about the disappearances too." Hebi stood to his feet.

Kagome stood as well. "Please be careful out there, Hebi"

He looked her with another rakish grin. "But of course!" With a jaunty salute, Hebi left the coffee shop. Inuyasha walked over to her.

"What did he give you?" Kagome showed him the prayer beads. He examined them closely before handing them back to her. "They look old. Show them to Kaede tonight and see what she thinks."

Kagome nodded her agreement as she tucked the beads into her purse. "I will do that."

Kagome and Inuyasha left the coffee shop. Kagome filled him in on what Hebi said about the disappearances.

"There is something strange going on here. I am missing something, but I don't know what." Kagome's voice resonated with the frustration she was feeling. Inuyasha reached over and grasped her hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm in a soothing fashion.

"I have the utmost faith that you will get to the bottom of this, Kagome. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Kagome smiled gratefully at him, causing Inuyasha to blush lightly. Leaning over, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Inuyasha. That means a lot to me."

"Feh!" With that, Inuyasha pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Kagome's next meeting.

Neither Inuyasha nor Kagome noticed as a dark vehicle pulled out and followed behind them.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: YEAH! This story has now passed the 100 review mark! Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers! You are all my inspiration for writing! Also, thanks to my wonderful beta, Breezie for being willing to be my guinea pig and allowing me to run ideas past her! You all are awesome!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	16. More Questions

Chapter 16: More Questions

* * *

Inuyasha and Kagome pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. He walked her inside and was turning to head back out to the car when a voice rang out, "Kagome!"

Kagome smiled and greeted the woman warmly. "Hello Noriko! It is good to see you again. How have you been?"

Noriko grinned and said, "I have been doing well; getting into mischief like always."

Kagome put a hand on Inuyasha's arm, stopping him from edging away and making his escape. "Noriko, I would like you to meet my husband, Inuyasha. Inuyasha, this is Noriko. She works down in the city assessor's office."

Inuyasha studied the older woman as he shook her proffered hand. Noriko was in her 60's; her once raven hair now liberally laced with silver. Her chocolate eyes peered fearlessly from a face almost untouched by the ravages of time. She was dressed in a smart pantsuit and sensible flats. Noriko gave off a definite sense of impishness, and Inuyasha found himself liking the woman.

"It is nice to finally meet you, Inuyasha. Kagome has told me a lot about you."

He returned her friendly smile. "It is nice to meet you as well." He turned to Kagome. "I will see you after lunch." Kagome nodded as Noriko frowned in confusion.

"Aren't you staying for lunch?" she asked. At Inuyasha's negative response, she shook her head and grabbed his arm. "I insist that you join us; after all, the more, the merrier."

"I don't want to interfere with business though," Inuyasha protested.

"Nonsense! There is nothing I have to say to Kagome that is confidential or top secret material. You are staying for lunch." With that, Noriko, still holding onto Inuyasha's arm, led the way into the restaurant. He gave Kagome a 'what do I do?' look over his shoulder. Kagome answered with a shrug and a smile and happily followed them to their table.

* * *

Noriko dabbed her mouth with her napkin before laying it on the table. Both Kagome and Inuyasha looked at her in expectation.

"Well, the news I have is pretty basic," Noriko told them. "Within the past six months or so, many of the properties you were asking about have been purchased by one of three different companies."

Kagome nodded. This was information she had been expecting. Noriko leaned forward and lowered her voice a bit. "The three companies are all owned by the same parent company which also appears to be owned by an even larger company. What that company is, no one seems to know."

"I see. I had my suspicions that something like that was going on. The question is why they are being bought in the first place."

Noriko grinned. "I thought you'd ask that, so I did some checking. Although I didn't find the reason behind the mass acquisition, I can tell you what it _ISN'T_." She passed some papers over to Kagome and Inuyasha and continued as they studied them. "Soil analysis done several years back shows no significant traces of minerals or other mineable materials – therefore the property is not for mining purposes. Nothing has been submitted for that area about rezoning – therefore no large mall or amusement parks are going in. Roadway construction forecast for the next 20 years shows no proposed thoroughfares in that area – therefore the property is not needed for a new highway."

Kagome sat back, tapping her fingers in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense then. Why is this mysterious company buying up property if they weren't going to build or mine the area? And why would they be using subsidiary companies to make the transactions?"

Noriko shrugged and lowered her head. "I don't know what to tell you. I am sorry that I was unable to get any more information for you." Her voice was low and Inuyasha could tell that the older woman was upset by her perceived inability to contribute more.

Kagome reached out and grasped Noriko's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Noriko, thank-you so much for the information you have given me. You helped confirm one of my suspicions and have saved me time by weeding out possible reasons behind the purchase. Now it is my turn to see what I can figure out and go from there."

The older woman looked at Kagome and gave her a grateful smile. Squeezing her hand in return, Noriko said, "You just be careful, you hear me? I don't like this mess, and I like the fact that you are involved in it even less."

Kagome leaned over and kissed Noriko's cheek. "I will be careful." She stood up; Inuyasha quickly followed and held the chair for Noriko as she got up as well.

Turning to give him a thank-you, she paused before adding "You better take care of my Kagome, Inuyasha, or I will be coming after you." Noriko gave him a stern glare, causing Inuyasha to flush. Kagome bit back a snicker.

"Yes ma'am. I will protect her with everything I have, even with my life." Noriko studied him for a moment before smiling and patting his cheek, satisfied with his response.

After paying the bill and saying their good-byes, Inuyasha and Kagome dashed out of the restaurant and ran to their car, trying to keep from getting drenched by the rain that started to pour while they were eating. Once they were safely inside the vehicle, Inuyasha started the car and turned on the heater.

"Now what?" he asked.

Kagome sighed, running her fingers through her damp hair. "I don't know. I have more questions than I have answers." She pulled out the prayer beads and ran them through her fingers. "I have a feeling that these are important, but I don't know why." Inuyasha watched as Kagome became lost in her thoughts. Making up his mind, he put the car into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.

"All right then, let's go talk to Kaede." Kagome looked over at him and nodded. Inuyasha pulled out into the street, taking note as a dark sedan pulled out behind them. Not thinking too much about the vaguely familiar vehicle, he turned the radio on softly as he drove them to the house. Kagome was silent as her mind sorted through the information she had been given.

Inuyasha slowed to a stop at a red light and waited patiently for it to turn green. All of a sudden, they felt the car jerk as they were hit from behind. The impact pushed their car into the intersection.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the dark sedan turn quickly down a side street.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's cry caught his attention and he watched as a delivery truck headed right towards them.

"Oh shit!" Inuyasha tried to get the car to move, but the crash had caused it to stall. He could hear the tires on the truck squealing as the driver tried in vain to stop; the wet pavement made the brakes ineffective. Horn blaring, the delivery driver tried desperately to avoid the stalled car. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand and braced for impact.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: (Gives an evil laugh) Yep, I left you with another evil cliffy! (Ducks behind a brick wall to avoid flying debris). The more reviews I get, the faster I will update! Once again, a huge thank-you to my wonderful beta, Breezie for her patience and willingness to help me out._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	17. The News

Chapter 17: The News

* * *

With tires screeching and horn blaring, the delivery truck slammed into the front passenger corner, causing the car to spin before both vehicles came to a stand still.

The truck driver opened his door and staggered over to the car and knocked on the window.

Inuyasha opened his eyes once he realized that someone was trying to get his attention. He quickly looked over at Kagome to make sure she was okay.

"Kagome, honey, are you all right?" She groaned and opened her eyes. Giving him a weak smile, Kagome nodded, grimacing as her body protested the movement.

"I am okay, just a little bit sore. How are you? What happened?"

"I am fine. Someone rear ended us and we were hit by a truck."

Kagome chuckled. "That explains why I feel this way." Inuyasha smiled and kissed her hand before turning back to the delivery driver who was trying to open his door. After a few minutes of the two of them working on it, the door finally popped open.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry!" The young man looked to be close to tears. "I tried to stop, but my brakes locked up. Is everyone okay?"

Inuyasha gingerly stepped out of the car; his body starting to ache. He reached in and carefully helped Kagome out. She bit back a gasp of pain as she realized that she had injured her wrist. Once Kagome was out of the car, the truck driver and Inuyasha helped her over to a nearby diner to wait for the police, out of the still pouring rain. A friendly waitress brought over coffee for the three of them and told them that the police had been summoned.

"I am fine, I just sprained my wrist when we were hit," Kagome told the hovering driver. Inuyasha stood and went to the window to make a phone call.

Kagome studied the delivery driver as he sat down in front of her. He couldn't be more than 20 years old; his hair shorn close, making it hard to tell what color it was. He had large, expressive eyes that refused to meet hers. His hands shook as he tried to lift the coffee cup to his lips. Kagome took pity on him and placed her good hand on his arm.

"We are okay. If it wasn't for your quick thinking, we would have been a lot worse off. As it was, you were able to move your truck enough so that it only clipped the front of our car, instead of ramming into my door." The young man gave her a weak smile and took a sip of coffee.

Inuyasha hung up his phone and came back to the table. "Sess will be here in a moment." Kagome nodded her understanding.

By this time, the intersection was crawling with several police cars and an ambulance. Several witnesses pointed a pair of officers to the diner, who nodded their thanks before they headed inside. Once there, the two shook the rain off their jackets and headed over to where Inuyasha, Kagome and the young man were sitting.

"Hello, my name is Officer Normura and this is my partner, Officer Tsuzawa. Is everyone okay?"

"My wife injured her wrist, but other than that, we are okay," Inuyasha told them. The delivery driver also indicated that he was well.

"Can you tell me what happened?" asked Officer Nomura as she took out a small notebook and pen. Inuyasha proceeded to relate the events leading up to the collision. When he was done, the other driver told his side of the tale. Kagome sat quietly in thought.

"Ma'am, ma'am…" Kagome roused herself from her thoughts when Officer Tsuzawa touched her shoulder. "Ma'am, would you allow the paramedic to check you over?" Kagome looked over at Inuyasha who nodded his agreement. Stifling back a sigh, she rose to her feet and allowed herself to be led over to the paramedic who waited to check her for other injuries.

Kagome found her thoughts drifting once again, not really paying attention until she heard the medic mention taking her to the hospital. "Oh, no! I am not going back to the hospital! I am fine!" Kagome tried to stand to her feet only to feel a hand on her shoulder, pressing her back down. Looking up, Kagome saw Sesshomaru's concerned visage as he looked from her over to where Inuyasha stood talking to another group of officers.

Looking back at the paramedic, Sesshomaru spoke, "I will see to it that Kagome is checked over by her physician, if that will suffice." The paramedic looked at them before nodding.

"Very well. I don't think that there is anything to be concerned about, but due to the bruising from her seat belt, she should be checked for internal bleeding, just to be on the safe side." He finished wrapping her wrist and then gathered his supplies and left the diner.

Kagome put her hand on Sesshomaru's where it still rested on her shoulder and gave him a grateful look. "Thank-you Sess. I really didn't want to go back to the hospital after just getting out of there."

"I understand, Kagome. Come, let's gather my brother and get you both out of here." Sesshomaru walked over to where Inuyasha stood and talked for a moment with the officers. Handing them one of his business cards, Sesshomaru steered Inuyasha towards the door where Kagome waited, and led them to his car.

"Thank-you for coming, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha said as he sat back with a sigh.

"Are you well, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru asked as his driver pulled out.

"Yeah, I am just a bit sore though."

"You will be checked out as well when we get to the clinic." Inuyasha recognized Sesshomaru's tone of voice and knew it was fruitless to argue the point.

"Hey Inuyasha," Kagome spoke up. "You said that it was a dark sedan that rear ended us, right?" At his nod, Kagome continued. "I am not sure, but I think that it may have been the same vehicle that tried to run me down a while back." Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru looked at her in surprise.

"Do you think that the two incidents are connected?"

"That would be the only logical conclusion if the two vehicles were indeed the one and the same." Silence fell in the car as each person thought of the implications.

* * *

"Now Mrs. Taisho, I am just going to check your belly and make sure there is no injury to your internal organs." The doctor reassured Kagome as she spread gel on Kagome's stomach.

Inuyasha had already finished with his checkup and now stood beside Kagome's bed, holding her hand.

"Okay now, here we go." The doctor ran the ultrasound wand over Kagome's stomach, stopping here and there to adjust her monitor. "Your liver looks good…hmm…so does your spleen. I don't see any blood accumulating." The doctor made a few more adjustments and continued her scan. Kagome felt Inuyasha squeeze her hand and she returned it, giving him a relieved smile.

"Almost done, angel, and then we can go home."

The doctor made one last pass of the wand across Kagome's belly and then wiped away the gel. "Great news, you two. No sign of internal injury and the baby is just fine."

"Baby? What baby?" Kagome asked breathlessly.

The doctor gave her a strange look. "I mean your baby of course." The doctor studied the reactions of the two, finally nodding in comprehension. "I see, you didn't know. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Taisho, you are about 6 weeks pregnant."

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with tears in her eyes. Inuyasha stood slack jawed and glassy eyed. "Inu…" Kagome could only watch as his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

TBC

_I hope that this chapter makes up for the evil cliffy from the last chapter. Kagome and Inuyasha not only survived the crash without major injury but found out that she is pregnant. Poor Inuyasha._

_Thank-you to all of my reviewers – your comments help make it worth while. Thank-you to my wonderful beta, Breezie – sorry for making you cry ; )._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	18. Possible Motive

Chapter 18: A Possible Motive

* * *

"I did not faint, damn it! I just got a little dizzy," Inuyasha huffed, folding his arms across his chest. Kagome and Sesshomaru shared amused glances.

"That would explain your collapse upon hearing of her pregnancy, even though you were given a clean bill of health? I find that hard to believe." Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru, who only smirked and looked out the window.

Kagome sighed and rubbed a hand on her stomach. "I am pregnant," she said softly. "I can hardly believe it." She gave a slight start when she felt a warm hand covering hers. Looking up, Kagome was caught in Inuyasha's golden gaze, trapped by the emotions that swirled within their depths.

Sesshomaru watched the two across from him, touched by the tenderness they showed one another. As the moments passed, Sesshomaru felt a faint stirring of envy towards his brother. Looking away, he scowled. 'What do I, Sesshomaru have to be envious about?' he asked himself. 'Besides the fact that Inuyasha was well on his way to starting a family, that is.'

Sesshomaru roused from his thoughts when Kagome placed her small hand on his arm. Turning his gaze upon her, he was a little surprised to see concern in her eyes.

"Umm, Sess are you okay?" she asked.

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you seem distracted and you haven't noticed that we are home."

Sesshomaru finally noticed that the car had indeed stopped at their residence. "I see. I was just thinking, nothing to be concerned about." Kagome gave him a lingering glance before she nodded, not really convinced.

"Let's get you inside, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he opened her door. Both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hovered nearby as she walked up the stairs to the door. Kagome bit back a sigh of frustration, knowing that they were only concerned for her welfare.

Kaede met them at the door, giving Kagome and Inuyasha a hug. "I am glad that you both are safe. Come and sit. I will bring everyone a snack, as it is way past dinner time." Inuyasha's stomach growled at the mention of food, causing everyone to laugh.

"Mama Gome! Papa Inu! Papa Sess!" A small dark-haired bundle came running down the hallway and ran into Kagome's waiting arms.

"I have missed you! Rin was very good for Auntie Kaede!"

Kagome chuckled as she held the young girl. "I missed you too, sweetie. What did you do today?"

"I went to the park and fed the ducks and chased the geese and played on the swings and drew pictures and watched a movie and helped Auntie Kaede make cookies and played." Rin finally stopped and took a breath.

"I see. You have had a busy day." Rin nodded, trying to hide a yawn. Inuyasha saw it and looked at his watch.

"Bedtime, munchkin," he told her.

Rin nodded. "Kay." Turning her big, brown eyes upon Sesshomaru, she smiled and asked, "Will you tell me a story, Papa Sess?"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow and looked briefly at Kagome's smiling face. "I will, however, you must be ready and in bed before I get there."

Rin's smile grew larger and she gave a little jump for joy. "Yippee!" She ran over and kissed the adults goodnight and rushed into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth before running into her room and jumping onto the bed. "I'm ready, Papa Sess!" Rin called out. Sesshomaru sighed and headed down the hall, but not before Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaede caught the tender look on his face.

"Sess is such a sweet guy, even though he tries so hard to hide it," Kagome said softly.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! Don't let him hear you calling him sweet."

"Inuyasha," Kaede scolded, "don't talk like that about your brother. Now, you two should go and sit down. I would like to hear what happened to you today." She ushered Kagome and Inuyasha into the living room, making sure they were settled upon the couch before heading into the kitchen to prepare a small snack.

Kagome leaned back with a sigh. Inuyasha looked at her in concern. "You okay, Kagome?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I am just a little tired. I am still trying to sort through the information that Hebi and Noriko gave me." Inuyasha reached over and pulled her so that she lay snug against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, Inuyasha began to nuzzle her neck.

Kaede entered the living room carrying a large tray of sandwiched. Inuyasha looked at her and said, "I am hungry, but not that hungry." Kagome giggled as Kaede laughed.

"There is plenty for you, Inuyasha, but your friends will be here shortly. They heard about the crash and have been calling to see if you were home." Kaede placed the tray onto the coffee table just as a quiet knock on the front door sounded. "That would be them now." She went and answered the door.

Inuyasha sighed and adjusted his hold as he reached for a pair of sandwiches, handing one to Kagome. Kaede reappeared, followed by Sango and Miroku, who was carrying a sleeping Kanaye. Ayame and Koga also came in, each one carrying a sleeping baby in a car seat. Kaede led Miroku towards the guest room where he could lay Kanaye down. The others took up seats after greeting Kagome and Inuyasha. Miroku came in and sat beside Sang, while Kaede bustled about, getting drinks for everyone.

"What happened, you guys? Are you okay?" Sango asked the questions everyone wanted to know.

Kagome smiled at her friends. "We are okay, nothing more than a few bruises and some soreness."

Ayame checked Inuyasha and Kagome over, not quite believing them. "So what happened?"

"Some asshole rear ended us and we were pushed into the path of a delivery truck." Inuyasha mumbled out between bites of his second sandwich.

"Was anyone else hurt in the accident?" Miroku asked as he grabbed a couple of sandwiches for himself and Sango.

"It was no accident. Someone intentionally rammed into us." Silence fell upon the group before everyone started talking at once. The noise level rose, causing Kagome to put a hand to her head in attempts to stave off the impending headache.

"Silence!" Sesshomaru's voice cut through the noise; everyone's attention turned to his towering form framed in the doorway. Once he had their attention, he glared at each person as he continued, "Rin is asleep and you would do well to lower your voices. If you are unable to do so, I will 'ask' you to leave." Everyone knew that by 'ask', Sesshomaru meant that he would forcibly throw them out. Satisfied that everyone understood him, he walked over and stood behind the couch where Inuyasha and Kagome reclined. By this time, Kaede returned with beverages and took the last remaining chair.

Kagome took a deep breath and entwined her fingers with Inuyasha's where his hand lay across her stomach. "You all know about the story I am working on, right?" She looked around the room and saw everyone nodding. "Well, a few months ago, I was almost run down. I didn't think much of it, but Inuyasha made me promise to take someone with me any time I was investigating the story." Kagome paused as she felt his grip on her tightened momentarily.

"Anyway, when I went into work this morning, I had a couple of messages from my contacts, requesting meetings. I phoned Yasha and took him with me."

Sesshomaru listened closely as Kagome relayed the information that she had been given by her two contacts. This was the first time he had heard the full story, only having gotten bits and pieces from his brother earlier in the day.

Once Kagome finished telling them the information she had gotten from Noriko, she paused to take a drink and eat a little more of her sandwich.

"Oh, Kagome! I don't like the idea of those disappearances," Ayame said, her eyes wide with fear. The others murmured their agreement. Kagome shrugged it off.

"I don't like it, but I have to get to the bottom of this."

"May we see the prayer beads?" Kaede asked. Kagome pulled them from her pocket and passed them over to the older woman. Kaede studied them closely before passing them to Miroku. "What do you think?" she asked him quietly.

Miroku took his time and gave them a thorough going over. "These are very old. My grandfather had a set in his collection with the same artist's mark," he pointed out a faint marking on one of the beads. "He claimed that they were close to 500 years old."

Kaede nodded. "That is what I was thinking as well."

Sango looked thoughtful. "If the beads are indeed that old, then what were they doing there?" She looked at Kagome and asked, "You said that Hebi told you that nothing else was found at that time, correct?" A Kagome's nod, Sango continued. "Do you know of other objects such as these have been found at other times?"

Kagome finally caught on to where Sango was going with her questions. "Not to my knowledge, but I can ask Hojo and Suki." Trying to contain her growing excitement, Kagome turned to Kaede. "Do you know if there may have been a temple or shrine in that area back then?"

Kaede looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "I do not recall, but I can check some of the scrolls from that era and see if any mention of one has been made."

"Will someone please tell me what is going on here?" Inuyasha growled. He was getting frustrated, not following where the conversation was going.

"It is simple, Inuyasha. If there was indeed a temple or shrine dating back 500 years located in the area Kagome is investigating, it would explain the motive behind the mass purchase of properties. Some one knows that there may be a very important archaeological discovery in the area, and intends to have full control and ownership." Miroku said.

The group fell silent as they digested this information. "I get it now," Inuyasha said quietly. "Anyway, to continue the story, when we finished the lunch, we pulled out of the parking lot. This dark car followed us. We came up to a red light and waited for it to change. The dark sedan rear ended us, pushing us into the path of a delivery truck. The truck clipped us before being able to stop. We went to the clinic where we both were given clean bills of health and then came home. That is all there is to it." Everyone started talking among themselves.

"That is not all there is," Kagome said softly. Everyone's eyes looked at her as she continued. "I believe that the car that tried to run me down and the car from today were the same vehicle."

Sango jumped up. "What?" She cringed when Sesshomaru glared at her. Lowering her voice, Sango asked, "Why do you think so? Who would do such a thing?"

Kagome told her the reasoning behind her theory. Her friends listened in growing concern. No one spoke for a long moment. Finally Koga broke the silence, saying what was on everyone's mind. "You be very careful, Kagome. We don't need you to disappear like those missing residents."

Kagome wiped away the tears that threatened at the concern she saw in each of their faces. "Thanks, guys. I will be careful, I promise." She stifled a yawn; Sesshomaru saw the weariness in both Kagome and Inuyasha and made a decision.

"It has been a trying day for my brother and Kagome. It is time they got some rest." Taking this as their cue, Koga and Ayame gathered the twins and took their leave, promising to call later to check on them. Sango went over and gave Kagome a hug, while Miroku collected their sleeping son. Kaede showed the friends out as Sesshomaru bullied a reluctant Inuyasha and a more cooperative Kagome into going to bed.

"Thank you for being there today, Sess," Inuyasha told him quietly before leading Kagome to their bedroom.

Sesshomaru gave him a small smile. "I am glad that the 3 of you are okay."

"Yeah, me too," Inuyasha replied with a faint blush.

Sesshomaru watched as the two disappeared into their bedroom before turning around to find Kaede watching him. "The 3 of them?"

Sesshomaru nodded once. "The doctor found that Kagome is about 6 weeks pregnant." He watched as Kaede paled and swayed. He quickly moved to her side and held her steady.

Kaede took a deep breath and looked up at Sesshomaru. "You must make the soul connection permanent before the child is born. There is little time left."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that you like this chapter. I will try to have the next one up soon._

_I also wanted to say thank-you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. You are the continuing reason I have not bagged this story. I also want to give a great big THANK-YOU to my wonderful beta, Breezie for her tireless work and endless patience._

_If you haven't already done so, you can take a look at my new one-shot, Breaking a Heart's Promise. I may expand this out into a full story, but this one will take priority first – I don't like having multiple stories open as I feel that I can't give them the concentration they deserve. Anyway, take a look and let me know if you think I should continue with that story line._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	19. Making Decisions

Chapter 19: Making Decisions

* * *

"I see. Thank-you for informing me. Good day." Sesshomaru hung up the phone and sat back. He rubbed his temples as he stared blindly out the window.

The police had found the car that had rear ended Inuyasha and Kagome, but it had been wiped clean of any finger prints. A few blood stains were found in the trunk and were being investigated, but there were no further leads in the case.

Sesshomaru sighed, his thoughts turning to the soul connection he shared with his brother and sister – in – law. The fact that Kaede insisted he make his connection permanent as soon as possible had him concerned. He did not like being forced into something without adequate information, of which, he was definitely lacking. All he had to go by was Kaede's insistence that something bad was going to happen.

"Damn it!" Sesshomaru slammed his fist on his desk in frustration. He stood and went to the window, staring out at the panoramic view in front of him. After a long moment, Sesshomaru came to a decision. He could not ignore the growing feelings for Inuyasha and Kagome. If, by making his bond permanent, he could help them, he would do so.

Picking up the phone, Sesshomaru dialed and number and waited until it was picked up. "Kaede, I will do it." He hung up shortly afterwards, feeling tense muscles relax; Sesshomaru felt strangely at peace now that he had finally made the decision.

* * *

"You have failed me again." Muso shifted uneasily in his seat, refusing to lift his eyes from the floor. Beside him, Goshinki gave a low laugh.

"Keep your skirt on, Kikyo. We were only playing with 'em.' Kikyo spun with a snarl. Muso tried to keep from slouching further in his chair, attempting to keep from drawing Kikyo's wrath upon himself. He heard Goshinki's laugh choke off. Steeling a glance at his partner, Muso was surprised to see Kikyo holding a slender dagger to Goshinki's throat.

"Would you like to repeat that, you piece of shit?" Kikyo hissed. Muso watched as Goshinki glared at the woman, only to pale suddenly when she pressed the knife into his flesh, drawing a thin line of blood. When no further comment came forth, Kikyo stepped back, keeping the dagger in plain sight.

"I will not tolerate any further failure from you. You screw up once more and I will show you what happens to those who fuck up their jobs."

Muso gulped and nodded. "Understood." Muso stood and tugged at Goshinki, who quickly scrambled to his feet. Kikyo watched as the two men bowed to her before quickly leaving.

With a sigh, Kikyo sat down at her desk, toying absent mindedly with the dagger. When she realized what she was doing, she took out a cloth, wiped the blade clean, and placed it back in its sheath.

She had just finished when her private business phone line rang. Kikyo answered, only to sigh quietly when she recognized the voice on the other end.

"Hello, Mr. Neitzel. What may I do for you today?"

"_Ms. Onigumo, I hope that you have secured the property I have requested and have so generously paid you for."_

"Just about. I am taking care of the last bit even as we speak. The land should be ready for you by the end of the month." Kikyo stifled the urge to cross her fingers at her 'little' lie; after all, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"_I am growing impatient, Ms. Onigumo. The board of trustees wants results, not excuses for incompetence. I think that I will take a trip out to check your progress for myself."_

Kikyo groaned to herself. "Of course, sir. I would be more than happy to greet you and show you around. Maybe I could take you to some of the cultural events that are taking place; show you around the city, so to speak."

"_That will not be necessary, Ms. Onigumo,"_ came the chilled reply. _"This will not be a pleasure trip, I can assure you. You may expect me in two weeks, and I expect to see results at that time."_

Kikyo opened her mouth to acknowledge his statement when a sharp click sounded in her ear. Growling in anger, she threw the phone across the room before slamming her head upon her desk in frustration.

* * *

"So, any new leads on your story, Kagome?" Ayame asked as the three friends sipped their coffee after their monthly lunch date.

Kagome shook her head as she put her coffee cup down without drinking it. She had found that coffee seemed to increase her nausea and so tried to avoid drinking it as much as possible. "No, nothing new at this time," she answered.

Sango looked at Kagome with mild concern. She looked a little pale and had only picked at her lunch, and now Kagome was not drinking her coffee.

"Are you okay, Kagome? You are acting like you don't feel well." Sango and Ayame watched as a strange look crossed Kagome's face; was that guilt?

Kagome looked briefly at her friends, and seeing their concern, rushed to reassure them. "I am okay, just not sleeping well with everything that is going on. It is nothing to be worried about." Kagome quickly changed the subject, hoping that neither one of her friends would realize that she was starting her 3rd month of pregnancy; she was not ready to share the news with any one yet.

"How are you and the twins doing, Ayame?" Kagome and Sango watched with growing concern as tears filled the red head's eyes. Kagome leaned over and gave the distraught woman a hug. Ayame clung to her for a moment before pulling back.

"What is going on, Ayame?" Sango asked softly.

Ayame sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Koga has started drinking again." Kagome and Sango exchanged concerned glances. Koga had struggled with a drinking problem off and on. The last time, he had promised Ayame that he had quit for good. Evidently, that was not the case.

"What happened?" Ayame sighed before answering.

"Last night, he was late coming home, and when he did, he smelled like a brewery. I told him that his dinner was in the refrigerator, and he could heat it up if he was hungry. He got mad, saying that if I was a good wife, I would have a hot meal waiting for him when he got home." Ayame paused to wipe her eyes again and continued. "I told him that if he wanted a hot meal, then he needed to be home when he said he'd be home. He… he hit me and started calling me names. It wasn't much longer before he passed out."

Sango was seething inside, but managed to keep it hidden; only showing her concern and support for her friend. "Has he hit you before this?" she asked quietly.

Ayame started to shake her head, but stopped and nodded slowly. "He has hit me a couple of other times," she replied. Looking up, she saw the looks of disgust and anger on her friends' faces and hurried to reassure them. "But he has always apologized afterward."

"That doesn't matter, Ayame. Koga has no right to be hitting you. I don't care if he apologizes from here to kingdom come. You do NOT have to put up with that!" Sango said, her volume rising considerably. With a hiss from Kagome, she quieted down again.

Ayame found herself studying the tablecloth. "What do I do about it? I love him, the idiot that he is."

"Ayame, you and the girls need to get away from him before it gets any worse. Maybe if you left for a while, Koga would finally get the clue and sober back up," Kagome told her. "Why don't you guys come stay with us at the house?"

Ayame looked at her in shock. "I can't do…" Kagome interrupted her.

"Don't tell me you can't do that or that you'd be a nuisance or in the way or anything stupid like that. Inuyasha and I are your friends and we'd do anything for you; just like you'd do the same for us. At least consider it an option."

Ayame sighed and searched Kagome's face for a moment. Seeing the determination in her eyes, Ayame nodded reluctantly. "Okay, I will think about it, but I am not making any promises."

"I wish you would just do it, but at least you know you have somewhere to go if needed. Miroku and I are also here to help if you need us as well." Ayame gave Sango a weak smile and hugged both of her friends.

"Thanks guys," Ayame said softly.

* * *

Kagome was washing the last of the dishes while Inuyasha was reading Rin a bedtime story. It felt strange not to have Kaede in the house; she had left for her home that morning with the promise to return by the end of the week. Kagome smiled to herself. She found that she liked having a 'full' house, and could hardly wait for the new arrival. She rubbed her tummy with a smile before finishing up the last pan.

Kagome was just drying her hands on the dishtowel, when she heard a knock at the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Ayame standing there with the twins. Surprise quickly turned to concern and anger when Kagome noticed Ayame's black eye and split lip.

"Ayame! Oh my god, are you okay?" Kagome quickly pulled the woman into the house, securing the door behind her.

"He came home drunk again. Everything was okay until Kyoko started crying. Koga just lost it. He went after her…"

"That bastard didn't touch her, did he?" Inuyasha's growl startled the woman who quickly shook her head.

"I wouldn't let him near her. He struck me several time before staggering to the bathroom. I think he passed out – I don't really care. I quickly gathered some things, grabbed the girls and left. So here we are." Tears slowly fell down Ayame's cheeks as she told her story. Inuyasha gathered her into his arms and slowly stroked her hair.

"It is going to be okay, Ayame. I won't let him hurt you again." Ayame broke down and sobbed into Inuyasha's shoulder while he held her tightly in his grasp.

Kagome smiled sadly and quietly took charge of the twins, who started fussing.

"You did the right thing coming here, Ayame. You, Kyoko and Kichi are safe here."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: If any one reading this story is a victim of domestic violence, please, please get out now before it is too late. There are shelters and organizations that will help you in any way possible. If there are no shelters near you, contact a local church or police station. Don't become another domestic violence statistic._

_A couple of people have indicated that they are confused by the whole soul connection thing. I would recommend you go back and read I'll Be There For You as that story is basically all about the initial soul connection between Inuyasha and Kagome, as well as its consequences. This is the sequel to that story. I believe that it will help the whole soul connection thing clearer._

_As Always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	20. A Knuckle Sandwich & Strong Coffee

Chapter 20: A Knuckle Sandwich & Strong Coffee

* * *

Inuyasha drove silently through the afternoon traffic, Miroku beside him. He was not looking forward to confronting Koga, but it needed to be done. He thought back to the phone call he had gotten around lunch time from a frantic sounding Koga. Koga had asked if he knew where Ayame and the twins were. Inuyasha had evaded the question and told his long time friend that he'd be by in a bit. After hanging up with Koga, Inuyasha called Miroku and invited him along for backup. Once he heard the reason for the visit, Miroku readily agreed.

"You know, I had a hard time convincing Sango to let you and me handle Koga. She wanted to repay each blow Koga had given Ayame with one of his own."

Inuyasha didn't reply other than a snort. Miroku took that as his cue to be quiet. It was only a few minutes later when Inuyasha pulled up to Koga's apartment. Getting out, he slammed the car door and quickly strode up to the door; Miroku following close behind. Inuyasha pounded on the door and waited for it to open.

When Koga finally answered, Miroku was shocked by Koga's appearance. He was dressed in a sloppy pair of jeans and a rumpled t-shirt. His hair was mussed and dark circles rimmed Koga's bloodshot eyes.

Blinking rapidly in the afternoon sun, Koga smiled with relief when he saw his friends standing there. "Inuyasha, Miroku, thank…" Koga's greeting was choked off when Inuyasha grabbed him by the throat and rammed him into the wall.

"You bastard! Even now, you are drunk! You don't know where your wife or kids are, but you sure didn't have any problems finding booze!" Inuyasha snarled. Koga's eyes widened and he started gasping for air; his hands trying to get Inuyasha's hand from his throat.

Miroku watched a moment, content to allow Inuyasha to vent some of his anger, but decided to step in when Koga's face started to turn blue. Placing a hand on Inuyasha's arm, he said softly, "Let him go, Inuyasha. He is not worth the effort." Miroku watched as Inuyasha loosened his grip before pulling back and slamming his fist into Koga's jaw.

Koga lay where he fell, taking large gulps of precious air while rubbing his cheek. "What in the hell was that for!" he demanded angrily.

"That was for hitting Ayame, you asshole, and going after the girls!"

Miroku saw Koga's face turn green as surprise rapidly changed to dawning realization. Scrambling to his feet, Koga made a dash to the bathroom where Miroku and Inuyasha heard him emptying his stomach.

Inuyasha moved towards the bathroom, only to be stopped by Miroku. "Let me take care of him. Why don't you go make a pot of strong coffee." With a glance towards the bathroom, Inuyasha nodded and headed into the kitchen.

Miroku waited outside the bathroom until the sounds of retching were finished. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door to see Koga weeping silently on the floor. Miroku quietly helped the distraught man to his feet and out to the living room, where Koga collapsed onto the sofa.

Inuyasha came in a thrust a cup of coffee into Koga's hands and took a chair across from him. Miroku sat beside Koga. An uncomfortable silence fell in the room before Inuyasha asked, "What in the hell is going on with you?"

Koga sighed and braced the cup between his knees. "Is Ayame okay? Did I hurt the girls?" he asked quietly.

Inuyasha debated not telling him, but upon seeing the anguish in his friend's eyes, he relented. "The girls are fine; you didn't touch them. Ayame has a black eye and busted lip, thanks to you."

Koga hung his head; Miroku could see him struggle to get himself under control. "I guess I should tell you why I started drinking again." Taking a deep breath, Koga lifted his head, but didn't look at either of his friends, opting to stare out the window instead.

"It was about a month ago I got a memo from the chain's headquarters. They were going to close a handful of stores to cut costs. Mine was on the list." Koga paused and took a drink of coffee before he continued.

"As you can guess, I started worrying about my job and providing for my family. It was at that time I started drinking again; using it as an escape." He chucked ruefully. "I know that there is no excuse for what I have done. Anyway, I tried for the past few weeks to get transferred to another store in the chain, only to be told there were no openings for managers. The store closed its doors this past Friday, and I am now unemployed."

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged glances. They had no idea that their friend was struggling like this. "Why didn't you tell us you were loosing your job? Does Ayame know?" Koga shook his head.

"I didn't tell her; I didn't tell anyone. I guess my pride got in the way. I was afraid I would loose people's respect – what kind of guy can't even support his family?"

Inuyasha didn't like the note of self-pity in his friend's voice. "Hate to tell you, but drinking and beating your wife destroyed any respect you may have had."

Koga turned his gaze upon Inuyasha. "Don't you think I know that? I know I fucked up and I would do anything to change the past, but I can't," he said bitterly.

Miroku put a hand on Koga's shoulder, gaining his attention. "You can make a new start by getting into a detox program and getting some help with your anger issues." After a moment, Koga nodded his agreement. "In the meantime, we will help you find a job." Koga's eyes brightened with a ray of hope.

"You guys would do that for me?" he asked in surprise. Inuyasha snorted.

"Of course, you ass. What are friends for? You shouldn't have too much trouble with your business degree and management background. I can also ask Sesshomaru if he knows of anything."

Koga gave his friends a small smile. "Thanks guys." The smile quickly faded as he asked, "What do I do about this mess with Ayame?"

Miroku spoke up. "Right now, you leave her alone. If you want to send flowers or something like that, fine. But I don't think that she wants to talk to you at the moment."

"They can stay with us for awhile until you get your act together," Inuyasha told him.

Koga sighed. "I don't like it, but I guess it is for the best. I really want to explain things to her thought. Would you tell her for me, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha hesitated before answering. He didn't like the idea of trying to explain Koga's actions to Ayame. "I will talk to Kagome and see what she suggests. I feel that it would be better coming from you though."

Koga nodded slowly. "I guess so. At least tell her I am sorry, for whatever it is worth, and that I love her."

"That, I can do," Inuyasha told his friend.

* * *

That night, Inuyasha lay snuggled against Kagome, rubbing her slightly rounded tummy as he thought about the conversation with Koga. Kagome turned over and looked at him in mild concern.

"What is the matter, my love?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nothing. I am just thinking about earlier today."

"You never told me how the confrontation with Koga went."

Inuyasha sighed and told Kagome what had happened and what he and Miroku had learned. "So, do you think we should tell Ayame everything?" he asked her when he had finished the tale.

Kagome shook her head. "No. He needs to tell her himself, but Miroku is right. Ayame really doesn't want to talk to him at the moment. I will, however, try to convince her that Koga is seeking help with his problems and that she needs to talk to him."

Inuyasha kissed her on the forehead. "Thank-you. I really was not looking forward to telling Ayame all of this." Kagome giggled.

"How thankful are you?" she asked seductively.

"Let me show you."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Well, what do you think? Should Ayame take Koga back, or tell him to take a hike?_

_A happy birthday goes out to the best beta in the world, breezie! May it be a beautiful day!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	21. Welcome Mr Neitzel

Chapter 21: Welcome Mr. Neitzel

* * *

Kikyo sat nervously in the limo, watching the private jet land and taxi its way across the airport. She found herself nervously worrying at the hem of her business suit, stopping herself with a growl.

The plane finally came to a stop near the limo. Long moments passed before the door opened. Kikyo used that as her cue to step out of the air conditioned comfort into the late summer heat and humidity. Almost immediately, Kikyo felt sweat trickle down her back.

The first person to emerge was a large bulk of a man, an Ox if you will, dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses. He stood at the top of the stairs and looked around before walking down to the tarmac. The next person was the one who had Kikyo in a fluster, Mr. Neitzel. He emerged from the plane and quickly descended; close behind him came another hulking mass, he could have been twins with the first man – Ox and Bull.

When all three reached the tarmac, Mr. Neitzel took the lead and approached the limo where Kikyo stood waiting. Resisting the urge to wipe her hands on her skirt, Kikyo stepped forward and started to greet her guest. He waved her off.

"Ms. Onigumo, I presume. Let us dispense with the pleasantries and go somewhere we can discuss business."

Kikyo stood speechless for a moment before nodding and opening the door for him and his goon squad. She watched as one of the men went to sit up front with the driver while the other two men made themselves comfortable. 'I can't wait until this asshole is out of my way,' she thought savagely to herself as she entered the limo.

* * *

"So where do we stand on the land procurement deal?" asked a deceptively relaxed Neitzel. He and Kikyo sat in her library sipping a chilled wine.

Kikyo carefully set her wine glass on a nearby table as she answered. "All land has been attained as promised, except for the children's shelter. All offers to purchase it and move the shelter to alternate locations have been turned down."

Mr. Neitzel stared into his wine glass as he swirled the nearly colorless liquid. "I see. What do you plan to do about this? The board of trustees is waiting for full possession before going ahead with the planned dig. They do not want word of the discovery to be made public before they choose to make it so."

Kikyo quelled the urge to squirm in her seat. "My men are putting the final touched on the plan as we speak. They won't fail me this time."

Mr. Neitzel lifted his hazel eyes and stared at Kikyo. "Oh, I know they won't. I will ensure that this plan succeeds." Kikyo wanted to shudder; this Mr. Neitzel character gave her the creeps.

He dropped his gaze and looked back at the wine glass he held in his hand. "Now tell me what you are doing about this Kagome Taisho person."

Kikyo started in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I have heard that she is an investigative reporter and that she has been asking a lot of uncomfortable questions. The board members will not brook any interference with their plans. Thus, my question: What are you doing about Kagome Taisho?"

Kikyo stood to her feet, made her way to the window and stared out over the gardens. "My men have made several attempts to scare her away, but without success."

Mr. Neitzel set his wine glass on the table and stood up. He walked up behind her and whispered into her ear, "Then I suggest you step it up a notch and just take her out."

Kikyo shivered as his warm breath caressed her neck. "O...Okay. I will send them out tonight to finish the job."

The blond haired man nibbled lightly on her neck. "Fine, but with a slight change in plans. One of my men will accompany them, you know, just to make sure that there are no further mistakes." He slid his hand across Kikyo's stomach and allowed it to rest at her junction.

Kikyo wanted nothing more than to turn and slap the man, but her body betrayed her; instead leaning into him and releasing a small whimper.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Ayame? Rin can be a handful sometimes, not to mention your own girls." Kagome looked at her friend, worry and indecision evident on her face.

Ayame laughed. "Of course I am sure! You and Inuyasha deserve a night away, so why not take advantage of a 'live in' babysitter? Besides, Rin is an absolute doll and loves to help me out with the twins." She handed Kagome her earrings as her friend put the finishing touches on her attire.

Kagome smiled as she thought back as to how Rin took to mothering the now crawling girls, even going so far as to feed them and 'read' them stories.

"Well, if you are positive then." Ayame nodded and Kagome threw her arms around the woman's neck. "Thank-you Ayame! We really appreciate this!"

"Hey Kagome, are you ready to go yet? The movie starts in 20 minutes." Inuyasha poked his silver head into the door way. Kagome nodded.

Grabbing her shoes, she went into the living room where Rin sat watching a video. Balancing on one foot while she slipped the shoe on the other, Kagome paused the movie, gaining Rin's immediate attention. "You be good for Auntie Ayame tonight, okay? Mama and Papa will be back when you wake up in the morning." Rin's face fell in disappointment.

"Okay, mama. But Rin wishes she could go on this 'date' with you." Kagome kissed the top of her head.

"Next time, sweet heart." Rin reluctantly nodded.

Ayame picked Rin up and gave her a hug. "We'll have lots of fun tonight. You can even help me make dinner and then give the girls a bath." The three adults grinned when the young girl broke into a bright smile and squealed excitedly.

Inuyasha handed Ayame his cell phone number. "If you have any problems, give me a call. Other wise, we will be home late tonight."

"Don't worry, you guys have fun and don't worry about us." Gathering her purse, Kagome and Inuyasha left the house for their 'date'.

* * *

Ayame collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. It had been a long night. First, Rin had dropped a pan full on noodles on to the floor, where Kirara had quickly pounced on the unexpected treat, and then Kyoko decided that she was going to fuss all evening. Finally, all three girls had fallen asleep in the room that Ayame was using; she decided to leave Rin there until she, herself, was ready for bed.

Ayame turned on the TV and found an old movie playing. Grabbing a blanket, she snuggled in to watch, not noticing when her eyes drifted shut.

Minutes or hours later, Ayame was awoken by a loud crash. Sitting upright, she stared wildly around. Ayame leapt to her feet, her first thought was to check on the girls. She turned as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

"Rin, is that you? Are you…" Ayame sputtered to a stop. She could see the silhouettes of three men in the hallway. 'Oh my god! Don't let them hurt the girls!' She turned to run down to the bedroom where they lay sleeping, only to feel a burning pain erupt in her back. Ayame staggered into the wall, leaning against it for support as she felt several more impacts along with the accompanying pain slam into her body. 'How strangely quiet,' she thought as she fell to the floor, her thoughts fading swiftly into the darkness.

Muso walked over and turned the fallen woman onto her side, getting a glimpse of her face. "Damn it! This isn't her!" The large man Kikyo had sent with them – the Ox – shrugged his shoulders.

"So? This will serve as a warning. Next time, I won't plug the wrong girl."

Goshinki nodded his agreement. Muso shook his head and stood up. "Let's get out of here." The three men quickly took their leave before some one came in. On his way out, Goshinki dropped a piece of paper on Ayame's still body before following the other two men out the busted door.

Once the house quieted down, Rin slowly opened the bedroom door and peeked out. She had been wakened by the crash and had buried herself under her blankets, thinking it was a thunderstorm. When she heard Ayame's voice calling her name, Rin got up and went to the door to answer. When Rin reached the door, she heard strange voices and became scared, hiding under the bed and not coming out until she was sure the strange people were gone.

Opening her door, Rin poked her head out and looked down the dimly lit hallway. Her eyes widened when she saw Ayame lying against the wall, a dark puddle slowly spreading beneath her. Taking hesitant steps, Rin slowly make her way over to the woman.

"Auntie, Auntie…" Rin shook Ayame's shoulder, trying to get her to wake up. The only response she got was a faint groan. Rin stood, biting her lip, as she tried to figure out what to do. 'Papa Sess will know!' Rin ran to the telephone and hit the speed dial for Sesshomaru's number.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: You know what you need to do! Read, Enjoy, and Review!_

_Thank-you Breezie!_


	22. Reconciliation

Chapter 22: Reconciliation

* * *

Sesshomaru looked up from the reports he had been reviewing as his private line started to ring. '11:30, who would be calling this number at this time of night?' he wondered as he picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Sesshomaru."

'_Papa Sess, Auntie Ayame needs help!'_

"Rin? What's wrong, where are your mom and dad?"

'_Mama and Papa went on a date. Auntie is here. Rin heard a loud noise and bad men's voices. When the voices were gone, Rin found Auntie on the floor. She won't wake up!'_

Sesshomaru felt a chill run down his spine. "Rin, I want you to listen to me. Go into the bedroom where the twins are and stay there. I am sending help and I will be there momentarily. Do not come out until I or Inuyasha get there."

'_Okay, Papa.'_

Sesshomaru listened as Rin hung up the phone; once he heard the click, he hung up his receiver quickly and grabbed his cell and car keys before rushing out the door. Placing a call to emergency services, Sesshomaru tore from his parking lot and raced to the house. Once he knew that help was on the way, he called Inuyasha and told him to get home, hanging up quickly before his brother could ask questions for which he had no answers.

Sesshomaru pulled into Inuyasha's driveway. He heard the approaching sirens as he ran up the steps and past the broken door. Sesshomaru quickly made his way to Ayame's still body and checked her pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when he found that she was still alive. He noticed a piece of paper beside her. Without touching it, he read the hastily scribbled note: **Stop the investigation!**

By this time, the hallway was quickly becoming crowded as the police and paramedics entered and swarmed the fallen woman. Sesshomaru stood and stepped out of the way, making sure a nearby officer knew of the note. Walking further down the hallway, he called softly, "Rin? You can come out now. I am here."

A door burst open and Rin ran up to Sesshomaru and wrapped her arms around his leg.

"Papa Sess, Rin is so scared! Will Auntie be all right?" she asked tearfully.

He bent down and picked up the crying child and tried to soothe her. Sesshomaru walked back to the bedroom where she had been hiding and sat with her on the bed; mentally shaking his head at the fact that the twins were still sleeping soundly.

"Ayame will be okay. Those people are going to help her." He held her close as her tears slowly stopped. A small cough from the doorway caught Sesshomaru's attention. Looking up, he saw one of the officers looking at him and Rin.

"I am sorry sir, but I need to ask the girl a few questions."

Sesshomaru looked down at the young girl in his arms and nodded reluctantly. The officer stepped in and knelt down in front of Rin.

"Can you tell me what happened here?" he asked softly. Rin looked uncertain, but with a nod from Sesshomaru, she told how she had woken to a loud noise; about Ayame calling her name; the strange voices; hiding under the bed; and then calling Sesshomaru. The officer gave her a smile when she had finished her tale.

"You were a very brave girl! You did everything you should have. We will catch the men who hurt your Aunt." With a small nod of thanks, the officer stood and left the room, nearly being run over by a frantic Kagome as she ran into the room.

"Rin, are you all right? Are the girls okay?" Rin ran over to her mother and held on tightly, however, no tears were shed.

"The girls are fine. Rin called me once it was safe to do so." Sesshomaru stood and walked out of the room as Kagome held Rin tightly and cried silently.

Out in the hallway, Inuyasha was talking to the officer in charge. Sesshomaru noticed that Ayame had already been taken away. Seeing his brother, Inuyasha stepped away from the officer.

"Sesshomaru, is everyone else okay?" At his nod, Inuyasha sighed. "Good. Ayame has been taken to the hospital. Some one needs to let Koga know."

"Did you see the note?" Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha nodded.

"Yeah, I did. I don't like this, Sess. Kagome is in danger, but I know that she won't drop this story."

"You're right, I won't," Kagome said as she quietly closed the bedroom door behind her. "Rin is sleeping. What happened?"

Sesshomaru told her what he had learned from Rin and about the note. Kagome paled, unconsciously placing a hand on her slightly rounded tummy.

"This just means I must be getting close. I just need to take extra precautions." Inuyasha didn't like the idea, but he knew Kagome would not change her mind.

Sesshomaru sighed as Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist. Coming to a quick decision, he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You two head over to the hospital. I will stay here with the girls tonight. In the morning you will all come and stay with me." Kagome kissed Sesshomaru's cheek.

"Thank-you Sess. Let's go, Yasha."

* * *

Kagome had called Sango and Miroku to let them know what had happened, while Inuyasha called Koga. When he had heard that Ayame had been shot and was now at the hospital, he started to sob. Koga managed to choke out that he'd be there as soon as possible. Now they all were sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear news of Ayame's condition.

Dawn was just starting to brighten the night sky when a surgeon in scrubs came out to talk to them. Inuyasha nudged Kagome, who had dozed off not long before as Koga stood to his feet and tried to keep himself from accosting the doctor.

"How is she? How is my wife?" The doctor saw that Koga was holding on to his emotions by sheer will. Smiling, he led the frazzled man to a chair and sat him down. Inuyasha and Kagome leaned in to listen.

"Ayame will be just fine. She came through the surgery to stop her bleeding with flying colors." Koga sagged with relief.

"Can we see her?" Kagome asked quietly.

The surgeon looked at his watch and nodded. "She is being moved into her room right now. Give us 15 minutes or so to get her situated, and then you can come in. She has been sedated, so she will not be aware of your presence, but you can come and reassure yourselves that she is okay." With another smile, he stood and left the three friends alone.

Kagome stood and went over to where Koga sat, tears of relief falling from his eyes. "I am so glad that she is going to be okay! I would not have forgiven myself if she…" Kagome couldn't finish the sentence as Koga drew her into his embrace and held her tightly.

"This is not your fault, Kagome! Neither Ayame nor I could possibly blame you for this, so don't be blaming yourself!" He held her tightly as Kagome wept. Sitting back, she wiped her eyes as a nurse came to take them in to see Ayame.

* * *

Koga stood and stretched, looking out the window. The late afternoon sun was being hidden behind gathering thunder clouds. He had been sitting beside Ayame ever since he had been brought in to see her, refusing to leave her side. Inuyasha and Kagome had left once they had checked on her, telling Koga that they would be back later. Sango and Miroku had come by earlier that afternoon and offered their support as well.

Sighing deeply, Koga turned back and retook the seat beside her bed. He gently took her hand and kissed it before holding it to his cheek. "I am so sorry, Ayame. If it weren't for me, you probably would not have been in this situation.

"I know that words alone cannot tell you how sorry I am that things got so out of control. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want you to know that I am going through counseling for my drinking problem and I have started taking anger management classes." Koga sighed.

"I know that I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I truly love you and I want you and the girls to come home. I wish you would give me another chance." Koga closed his eyes as he fought against the tears that threatened.

"I love you too, you idiot." Koga's eyes snapped open at Ayame's whispered endearment.

"Oh my god, Ayame! I am so glad you're okay!" Koga tearfully hugged her, trying to be mindful of her injuries.

When Koga finally released her and sat back down, Ayame closed her eyes, snapping them open when she remembered being shot. "Are the girls okay? They didn't hurt the girls, did they?" she asked fearfully. Koga quickly assured her that Rin and the twins were fine, and that they were all staying at Sesshomaru's place.

Ayame settled back, breathing a sigh of relief. "What happened to us, Koga? Why did you start drinking again?" Koga hung his head and struggled to tell her the events that led up to her taking the girls and leaving him. Ayame was silent as she thought things through. Koga started to get nervous.

"I wish you had told me about losing your job, Koga. I am your wife. I took a vow to love and cherish you for better or for worse. I am glad that you are getting help with the drinking problem and for your anger issues, but I want us to get marriage counseling before I come back."

"Marriage counseling?" At Ayame's firm nod, Koga reluctantly agreed.

"There are obviously trust issues between us that need to be resolved. In the meantime, you can visit with Kyoko and Kichi at anytime you want to; I will not keep you from our children." Ayame reached out and cupped Koga's face with her hand. "We will work this out and everything will be okay, just be patient."

Koga grasped her hand where it lay against his cheek and brought it to his lips. "I can wait forever, if that is what it will take for you to come back to me, my love."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Well, Ayame is going to be okay and she is going to take Koga back. Thank-you to everyone who voted for her and Koga to work things out._

_Sorry for the late update. There was a death in my family, an aunt who was only 10 years older than I, died of cancer earlier this month. I was pretty close to her while growing up, and I have had a hard time dealing with it. Slowly, I am trying to get back into the normal swing of things, including updating my stories._

_Special thanks goes to my almighty beta, Breezie who has been more than patient with me; thank-you!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	23. Breakthrough

Chapter 23: Breakthrough

* * *

"You fools! You can't even manage to complete one little job!" Muso watched with wide eyes as the blond haired Mr. Neitzel ranted and paced in front of him, Goshinki, and Ox. Goshinki was nursing a bruised jaw while Ox sat clutching his broken arm to his chest. Muso tried to keep from drawing the irate man's attention to himself.

Ox struggled to his feet, trying to keep from jarring his arm, the one that his boss, Mr. Neitzel had snapped when he learned that Ox was the one who shot the wrong girl. Neitzel watched with cold eyes as the husky bodyguard stood weaving on his feet. Quick as a striking cobra, the boss man grabbed the injured appendage and gave it a cruel twist.

"You are lucky I don't kill you for this! I sent you with these two buffoons to prevent mistakes from being made, and you make the biggest one yet!" Mr. Neitzel hissed as he released the broken arm.

Ox paled from the pain shooting through his body. He managed to choke out "Sorry sir, it won't happen again, sir. Please forgive me, sir."

Mr. Neitzel stalked over to the sideboard and picked up a glass of wine, taking small sips as he struggled to get himself back under control.

"Oh, I forgive you." He looked up and nodded to his other bodyguard, Bull, who stood silently in the shadows. The other man stepped forward and threw a dagger, lodging it in Ox's throat. "I forgive you, but I am afraid that Bull does not. After all, my men have a reputation to uphold." Mr. Neitzel turned and watched impassively as Ox struggled to speak, only to fall in a bloody heap upon the floor.

"I hope you gentlemen do not fail me again," he said in a low voice. Goshinki and Muso shook their heads and gulped out a "No sir!"

"Very well. You are dismissed." Mr. Neitzel waved his hand imperiously. "Oh, by the way, take this trash out with you." With that, Mr. Neitzel left the library, Bull following close behind.

* * *

Muso sat in his darkened room, the events from that afternoon replaying in his head. "I can't do this anymore," he said softly to himself. Making a decision, he grabbed his jacket and quietly left the room, trying to keep from waking Goshinki who lay dozing in front of the television.

* * *

Kagome had just tucked Rin into bed and was shutting the bedroom door when she heard her cell phone ring. Grabbing it off the table, she saw that it was from her contact, Hebi.

Flipping it open, Kagome answered, "Hey Hebi, what's up?"

'_Hey Kags, there is someone here you really need to talk to right away.' _Hebi's voice held a seriousness that Kagome was not used to hearing from the young man.

"Who is it? What do they want?" Kagome saw Inuyasha and Sesshomaru come into the room, drawn by the ringing of her phone.

'_He claims to know what happened to the missing residents and about the attack at your place.' _Kagome paled. The attack at the house was not common knowledge; only the police and they knew about it, wanting to keep it quiet for security reasons.

"Where are you, Hebi?" Kagome scribbled the address down as it was given to her. "I will be there as soon as I can." Kagome hung up and turned to the two men who stood expectantly behind her.

"I think we may have a major break in the story," she said in excitement.

* * *

Sesshomaru parked the car in front of an old warehouse and looked around. He did not like the ominous feeling he was getting from the area. Kagome was in the process of getting out of the car when he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Kagome, I think we need to bring the police in on this. I really don't like the idea of you being here." Inuyasha nodded his agreement from where he sat.

Kagome smiled and covered his hand with her own. "No police until we see what this man has to say. Hebi and his friends will be there, as well as you two. Everything will be fine."

Sesshomaru sighed, but allowed Kagome to get out of the car. Inuyasha quickly took his place beside her, while Sesshomaru followed a short distance behind, keeping a hand on the gun he had brought with him. He tensed as a man opened a side door, only relaxing slightly when Kagome greeted him.

"Here we are, Hebi. Where is this mystery person?" The young man looked at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru warily before nodding and leading them into a sparsely furnished room. Sesshomaru saw a haggard looking man sitting alone on a couch, his eyes constantly searching for threats. Scattered around the room were other young people, each of whom carried a dangerous air. These young people had the lone man on the couch under their direct observation.

"Is this him?" Kagome asked quietly. At Hebi's nod, she strode forth confidently and sat in front of the dark haired man.

"My name is Kagome. I hear that you have some information for me."

The man nervously ran a hand through his hair, his eyes quickly shifting from Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, to the petite woman seated in front of him.

"Yeah, I do, but I want your promise that I will be placed into protective custody. Once they find out I have come to you, my life will be forfeit." Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru, who nodded.

"Agreed. We will get you into protective custody in exchange for your information."

The man nervously nodded and began his story. "My name is Muso, and I am, or should I say, was an enforcer for Onigumo Enterprises." Inuyasha started at the name, Kagome and Sesshomaru listened closely as Muso told his tale: how he and his partner got rid of the homeowners who refused to sell; the botched attack upon Kagome; as well as the planned attack on the new children's shelter.

Kagome was busy taking notes. When Muso had finished his story, Sesshomaru asked if he knew who was buying the properties and why.

Muso shook his head. "All I know is that this Mr. Neitzel brought two of his goons to oversee the final stages, but he killed one off for shooting the wrong person." Sesshomaru sat back, deep in thought; the name Neitzel seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it.

Inuyasha shifted in his seat, finally deciding to ask his question. "Who heads Onigumo Enterprises?"

Muso looked at him in mild surprise. He thought everyone knew who ran the vast business empire. "Kikyo Onigumo, of course."

Kagome's pen dropped to the floor with a clatter. She and Inuyasha exchanged shocked glances and murmured "Kikyo…" together in nearly the same breath.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Wow! A lot happened in this chapter, even though it was a little short. Muso defected; Kagome and Inuyasha found out that Kikyo is tied up in this mess. Sesshomaru is pondering where he had heard the name Neitzel. What will happen next? Review and find out!_

_Thank- you Breezie, for betaing this chapter for me! It is greatly appreciated._

_As always, Read, Enjoy and Review!_


	24. More Revelations

Chapter 24: More Revelations

* * *

"Damn it! I don't like the fact that Kikyo is behind this," Inuyasha ranted as he paced the floor of Sesshomaru's kitchen.

Sesshomaru had called for some of his people to pick up Muso and take him into custody. Now the three were back at his manor; Kagome and Inuyasha were in the kitchen while Sesshomaru finalized Muso's arrangements from his den.

Kagome sighed and set down the tea cup she'd been holding. Getting up, she walked over and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha, effectively halting his agitated pacing. "I don't like it either, but it is a fact that we must deal with." She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed again.

Inuyasha wrapped her in his arms and tenderly kissed the top of her head. "I know, but instead of just being in danger because of the story, you and I are also in danger from a personal vendetta."

Sesshomaru walked into the kitchen, having heard the last part on Inuyasha's statement. "Personal vendetta? Is this the same Kikyo you two had problems with in college? The one with Naraku?" At Inuyasha's assent, Sesshomaru nodded. "I see. That does add some problems, doesn't it?" He poured himself a cup of the tea that Kagome had made and leaned against the counter.

"Muso has been safely transferred to the safe house. Seeing as it is almost 2 in the morning, I suggest we all get some rest and deal with the information later in the morning. I will be going out with the bomb squad to verify the truth of what Muso had told us. I assume that you, Kagome, will accompany me."

Kagome nodded while Inuyasha scowled. "I will not be able to join you. Classes start up again next week, and I must get my classroom and lessons prepared." He tightened his hold on Kagome, who could feel the fear and concern he was trying to hide through the soul bond. Oddly enough, Sesshomaru could also feel the emotions being sent through his newly awakened bond.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha. I will stay with Kagome as we finish out this investigation. Those times that I cannot be with her, I will have one of my trusted men accompany her. I will also set up a shadow for yourself as well." Sesshomaru watched as his brother started to sputter in indignation. Hiding a smirk, Sesshomaru raised the tea cup to his lips and took a sip, not noticing Kagome's gasp when she realized what he had. He took a sip of tea, only to grimace at the taste.

"What is this? It tastes as if someone steeped it from lawn clippings."

Kagome smiled while Inuyasha laughed at his brother's horrified expression. "I'm sorry Sess, I should have warned you. That tea is a blend that Kaede made for me when I was having trouble with morning sickness. I have found that it actually isn't that bad if you add some honey and milk. I have found it to be quite soothing when I get stressed."

Sesshomaru carefully set his cup on the counter. "I do not think I will give myself the opportunity to test your claim."

Inuyasha smirked and was about to make a sarcastic remark, but Kagome stomped on his foot, causing him to give a startled yelp instead.

"We'll see you later then, Sesshomaru. Good night." Kagome grabbed Inuyasha and forcibly dragged him out of the kitchen. Sesshomaru chuckled softly to himself as he rinsed out the tea cups before heading off to bed.

* * *

That afternoon found Kagome, Sesshomaru, and Hojo standing at a safe distance from the nearly finished children's shelter while the police had the bomb sniffing dogs out in force. They watched as the head of the bomb squad talked on his radio a few times, making notations on the plans he had spread out on the trunk of a squad car. After a few more tense minutes, he waved the group over.

"Well, the charges are exactly where your source said they'd be. My men are deactivating the last one as we speak."

Hojo paled and swayed slightly on his feet. Kagome saw this and put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. He gulped once and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I just have a hard time believing that someone would want to do this to me, much less to the shelter." Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru, who only raised a finely arched eyebrow in response. She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Leading Hojo a little ways away, Kagome studied him for a moment. "We haven't told you everything, Hojo, but you have a right to know what is going on. Who knows, you may even be able to help us out some."

Hojo looked at his friend, concern and curiosity evident in his face. "What haven't you told me?"

"We recently found out that someone was purchasing all of the property in this area; we are not exactly sure why at this point. Those who did not wish to sell were killed." Kagome paused as Hojo paled once again and quickly sat on the sidewalk. He gestured her to continue.

"We received information last night about the planned attack here at the shelter. That much has been verified. With our informant's trust worthiness now established, we can proceed with bringing the culprits to justice." Kagome sat down beside Hojo as she finished.

He was silent for a long time, staring off into the distance. Kagome was getting concerned.

"Oh cousin, what have you done?" Hojo whispered softly, not aware that Kagome had caught his words.

"Cousin? What do you mean by that?" she asked him.

Hojo shook himself from his thoughts. "A while back, not long after the earthquake, I received a letter from my cousin inviting me to meet with her. I hadn't heard from her in years and eagerly took her up on the invitation. To make a long story short, she offered me money and a very nice piece of property on which to build a new children's shelter. I refused, as work had already begun here and I didn't want to move locations."

Kagome was staring at him in surprise. "Hojo, what is your cousin's name?" Kagome held back a shiver of apprehension; she was positive she already knew the answer.

"Her name is Kikyo. I am sure I told you about her when we were in school."

Kagome nodded. "Now that you mention it, I do remember you saying something about her." She hesitated telling him that his cousin was involved, but looking into his pained eyes, she knew that he had already made the connection. "I am sorry Hojo, but Kikyo is the head of the company that has been buying up the properties. I am not sure, but I would not be surprised if she somehow diverted the state funds from the shelter and the other state funded agencies in the area."

Silence fell between the two friends. Kagome watched as members of the bomb squad started packing away their gear.

"Hojo, have you found anything…unusual…in the area?"

"Unusual in what way?" Kagome pulled out the prayer beads and handed them to Hojo.

"These were found nearby, half buried. Have you found anything like this?"

"Not exactly like this, but I have found some old pieces of pottery and some scroll fragments." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small jade Buddha. "I found this last fall when the children had me dig a grave for a stray dog that had been hit in front of the center. I carry it as a good luck charm."

Kagome asked to examine the small statuette. Trying hard to contain her excitement, she asked, "Can I borrow this and show it to some people? If possible, I would like to have them examine the rest of your collection as well."

"Uh, sure, I guess." Hojo looked at her in confusion. "I can bring the rest of it to you tomorrow." Kagome gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thanks Hojo! I will see you later then." She leapt to her feet and hurried over to where Sesshomaru waited beside his car.

* * *

Goshinki paused outside the door to Kikyo's office. He could hear raised voices inside and he was not eager to be the bearer of this particular piece of news. Taking a deep breath, Goshinki knocked rapidly on the door, waiting for permission to enter. He heard the voices stop and the sound of someone coming to the door.

The door was flung open, revealing an irate Kikyo and a seemingly calm Mr. Neitzel. "What is it," Kikyo hissed.

Goshinki shifted nervously. "Umm, I just came to tell you that Muso is missing." Kikyo paled before her face turned red with fury.

"What do you mean, he's missing? How long has he been gone?"

"Uh…he was at the house last night, but he was gone when I woke up this morning. I was able to track him to an old, abandoned warehouse down by the river, but lost his trail from there." He had watched as Kikyo flew into a rage and started to throw whatever came to hand; not noticing when Mr. Neitzel approached him.

"Calm down, my dear woman." Mr. Neitzel drew Goshinki into the office and shut the door behind him. "Have a seat, Goshinki. After all, I can tell that you are quite disturbed by your partner's absence." Goshinki sat in the indicated chair, shaking slightly at the fury that flashed briefly in the blond man's eyes.

"Calm down? How can you say that? You know as well as I do where he went! That is the only explanation for the bomb squad at the shelter today! Who knows what else that asshole has told them!" Kikyo's voice had taken a hysterical pitch by this time.

Mr. Neitzel slapped Kikyo, stopping her hysterical ranting. "I am well aware of this, but someone here knows what he is telling the police." He signaled to the shadows; Bull stepped forth and grabbed Goshinki in a painful grip, preventing the now terrified man from moving.

"I…I don't…I don't understand, sir," Goshinki stammered.

"It is very simple, my friend. You and this Muso were partners in everything, correct?" Mr. Neitzel glanced at a silently watching Kikyo, who nodded. "Since you two did everything together, it is logical that what he knows about the organization and us, you know, and visa versa." He drew out a slender knife and toyed with it. "Therefore, my unfortunate man, you will tell us everything you know so we can evaluate the threat to the operation."

Goshinki started to struggle in the burly man's grasp, eyes widening in fear as Mr. Neitzel smiled and approached him with the knife held in a relaxed grip.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: This story still has a little ways to go before it is finished. Got to love those cliffies!_

_I just wanted to take a moment and give a great big thank-you to everyone who has reviewed my story to date. This story is rapidly reaching the 100 review mark on FF alone – you guys are awesome and my inspiration. Will this be my first story to reach 200 or more reviews in total? Review and you can make it happen._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	25. Caught?

Chapter 25: Caught?

* * *

Miroku sat on the couch and turned the small statuette over in his hands. Kagome had called and asked him to come by around lunchtime and take a look at Hojo's collection. Kaede was sitting beside him, having arrived earlier that morning in response to Kagome's call.

"The workmanship is remarkable! This appears to be made by the same artist who made the prayer beads; you can see part of his mark here on the bottom!" Miroku held the bottom of the small Buddha up to the light and showed the two women the faint mark.

"I was going through my library back at home for any reference of a temple in the general vicinity." Kaede pulled out a small notebook and opened it. Kagome could see the pages were filled with neatly written notes. "I managed to find mention of a small temple that disappeared about the same time the area was hit with several large earthquakes. As far as I have been able to determine, the temple was never found and has since faded into obscurity."

"I don't understand how you can 'lose' a temple, even if there was an earthquake," Kagome said in confusion.

Kaede chuckled. "It actually is not that difficult. Back at the time this temple was active, the village was still a good half day's travel by foot. Being isolated as it was, when the earthquake hit, it is probable that it may have fallen into a crevice only to have the crevice close back up in the following aftershocks."

Kagome looked thoughtful at this idea. Miroku carefully set the statue down on the coffee table. "Kagome, I believe that you may have found the location of this missing temple. I would like to call my uncle and have him bring a team of priests and archaeologists down to the shelter and have them check everything out. If this is indeed the missing temple, the ramifications of this find are mind boggling."

Kagome stifled a giggle at Miroku's enthusiasm. For someone who claimed he was never interested in becoming a monk, the thought of this temple sure excited him. She looked over at Kaede who nodded her agreement. "Okay Miroku, go ahead and do that. If they can confirm that we have found this missing temple, that will give me one of the missing pieces for my story."

Kaede put her notebook away and left to check up on Rin, who had been playing out in the garden. Miroku stood and gathered his things. "I need to be getting back to Sango and Kanaye. I will call my uncle this afternoon and try to set something up by the end of the week. I will let you know what is going on." Kagome stood and walked with her friend to the front door.

"Sounds good, thank-you Miroku. Give Sango a hug for me," Kagome said as she opened the door for him.

"Of course, Kagome! I would do anything for you." With one last promise to call her later, Miroku hopped into his car and pulled out just as Inuyasha drove up. Kagome saw him coming and waited at the door for him.

Inuyasha gave the now vanished car a confused look before smiling at his welcoming wife. Coming up the steps, he gave her a quick kiss hello. "What was his hurry? How did things go with your meeting?" he asked as Kagome led him into the house. She quickly related the events of the afternoon, ending with Miroku's excited departure.

Inuyasha was silent when Kagome finished her tale. She looked at him in surprise. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "What do you want me to say? I don't care about some missing temple; I am more concerned about this Neitzel character and Kikyo. I won't feel easy until the danger to you is over."

"I may be able to alleviate some of your concern." Inuyasha and Kagome jumped at Sesshomaru's unexpected voice. He stood in the hallway and beckoned them to accompany him into his study. Upon entering, they were greeted by a slender, brown-haired man of European descent. The man stood and held out his hand in greeting.

"Hello, my name is Jonas Blake. You must be Inuyasha and Kagome. I have heard a lot about you." Kagome shook his hand with a smile while Inuyasha did so more warily.

"Who exactly are you and why are you here?" Inuyasha asked gruffly. Sesshomaru sighed and took a seat.

"Sit down, Inuyasha," he said wearily. Inuyasha hesitated a moment before taking a seat next to Kagome. Jonas glanced at Sesshomaru as he too sat down.

"As you must have heard, this is Jonas Blake. He is a good friend of mine who happens to work in the International Intelligence Agency."

Kagome gasped. "I thought your name sounded familiar! You were responsible for capturing that slavery ring in the Netherlands!" Jonas smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I was." He looked over at Inuyasha, who still glared at him. "As for the reason I am here, Sesshomaru called me yesterday and asked me about Neitzel. My people and I have been after him for several years. He is the front man for a secretive group of men he calls his board of trustees. He is a lead suspect in several high-profile assassinations, smuggling, money laundering, terrorism, etc. You name it, he has probably done it. We were never able to bring charges against him as our informants usually wind up dead. When Sesshomaru indicated that Neitzel was here in Tokyo and that there was an informant in protective custody, my team and I hopped the next flight here."

"So what makes this time any different than the others? How do you know that Neitzel won't give you the slip?" Inuyasha spat. He was quickly starting to become frustrated and wanted this Jonas to come to the point.

Jonas smiled at him, not at all bothered by Inuyasha's tone of voice. "Three reasons why this time is different. The first reason, we finally managed to infiltrate Neitzel's board of trustees and now have all of them in custody. The second reason is that Muso has been moved to a top secret location where he is currently giving his legal deposition…"

"I still don't see how this is any different than previous attempts to catch this wacko," Inuyasha snapped. Kagome placed a calming hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Sesshomaru sighed as he put a hand to his head and rubbed at the headache that seemed to throb with every beat of his heart. "This is different for the very simple reason that Neitzel is now under arrest and will stand trial for his actions."

Inuyasha's jaw fell open. Kagome asked for more details, which Jonas supplied after garnering a promise to hold the story for another few days to allow for time to solidify the case against Neitzel. Inuyasha remained silent as Jonas gave out the details of the gun fight with the fugitive and his resulting capture. When the story was completed to Kagome's satisfaction, Inuyasha asked the question that had been bothering him.

"What about Kikyo?"

Kagome looked at him and squeezed his hand. "Kikyo Onigumo has escaped capture for the time being," Sesshomaru said softly. "She managed to escape before the police arrived. Her staff have been taken into custody and her holdings and assets have been seized. She has nowhere to go and no money. It should not be long before she too is captured."

An uneasy silence fell in the room. "Do not underestimate Kikyo," Inuyasha said quietly. "We did once before and it almost cost Kagome and I our lives. I will not make the same mistake again."

Sesshomaru and Jonas exchanged looks. There was nothing they could really say in response. Inuyasha stood, pulling Kagome to her feet and left the room to the two men who could only stare after them.

* * *

"Damn it Kagura! Let me in!" Kikyo continued to pound on the door of the rundown house, only to stumble forward when the door was suddenly opened.

"What the hell do you want? I told you that I wanted nothing more to do with this mess when you brought in Muso and Goshinki!" Kagura's red eyes flashed angrily as she glared at the woman standing in her doorway.

Kikyo pushed her out of the way and entered the little house, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. Kagura was preparing to chew out her sister-in-law again when Kikyo slumped to the floor and hung her head loosely between her knees. Kagura stared at her in surprise.

"It is all gone…" Kikyo mumbled. Kagura couldn't believe her ears.

"What did you just say?" Kikyo looked up and Kagura saw the haunted look in the woman's eyes.

"The money, the house, the properties, all of it has been seized. Mr. Neitzel was captured early this morning and I barely escaped myself. I have nothing left."

Kagura sunk down beside Kikyo. She had never liked the woman her brother had chosen, but she almost felt sorry for her now. "How did this happen?" she asked softly.

Kikyo gave a bitter laugh. "Muso turned traitor and turned us in." Kikyo's voice hardened. "That bastard went to Kagome Taisho and spilled his guts. When Neitzel found out what had been revealed, he high-tailed it to the airport to make his escape. He was met by the police and the International Intelligence Agency and captured. I managed to sneak out as my house was being surrounded, only to find that all of the Onigumo Empire's assets had been seized." Kikyo dropped her head again as she relayed her tale.

Kagura sat for a moment as she pondered the situation. "How do I know that you have not led the cops here yourself? I think that you should leave…" Kagura barely managed to avoid the fist that came flying at her.

"You bitch! You are only concerned with yourself! Don't you care that everything your brother worked for has been taken?" Kikyo hissed angrily.

Kagura sighed as she drew the angry woman into an embrace. Kikyo stiffened at the unfamiliar gesture before relaxing into it. Releasing Kikyo, Kagura sat back and studied her for a moment before asking, "What do you plan to do now?"

Kikyo wiped away a renegade tear and brought herself under control. Smiling evilly she said, "Listen closely; this is what we are going to do…"

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Uh oh, Kikyo and Kagura are planning something – that can't be good!_

_I hope that you liked this chapter. I struggled with it and I am still not happy with it, but didn't want to make you guys wait any longer for it. A huge thank-you to everyone who has reviewed my story to date; your comments are greatly appreciated!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	26. All is Calm

Chapter 26: All is Calm

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Kagome nervously rubbed her belly while she waited for Ayame and Sango at their table. Today would be the first time she had seen them in over three weeks; it would also be the day she finally told her friends that she was expecting.

She resisted the urge to look at her watch for the umpteenth time, opting instead to sip at her water. Kagome had arrived at the little café a bit early and now was waiting upon the arrival of her two friends.

Ayame and Sango walked into the restaurant together, slightly surprised to see Kagome already waiting for them. Sango squealed and made her way to the table and grabbed Kagome in a big hug.

"Congratulations on your story, Kagome! It is totally amazing!" Kagome blushed and managed an embarrassed thank-you as she exchanged hugs with Ayame.

"Great job, Kagome! I am glad to know that the guy who was after you has been caught. Who would have thought that you would help capture an international criminal?" Ayame said as she took a seat. Sango started to take hers when she hesitated and her eyes grew big.

"Um, Kagome…." she asked quietly.

"Yes Sango?" Kagome held her breath. 'I know that she has figured out that I am pregnant,' she thought worriedly to herself.

"Is there something you need to tell us?" Ayame looked confused, but caught Sango staring at Kagome's stomach. She looked up at Kagome in surprise.

"Kagome…"

Kagome flushed and looked at her hands where they rested upon the table. "Um, guys, guess what….I am pregnant." She looked up and gave her two stunned friends a huge smile.

Sango and Ayame exchanged glances and glared at their friend. "How far are you? Do you know what you are having? Why didn't you tell us?" Sango asked, trying to keep the feelings of hurt and betrayal from her voice.

Kagome reached out and grabbed one of Sango's hands and gave it a squeeze. "We didn't tell anyone for a couple of reasons. First of all, I didn't think I could ever get pregnant and had a hard time accepting that fact." Sango nodded her head, remembering the conversation they had when Ayame had the twins.

"Well, when we found out, we wanted to wait and be sure that I wasn't going to loose the baby. The second reason we didn't tell anyone was because of the story. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were afraid that if word got out to Kikyo and Neitzel that I was pregnant, I would become even more of a target. Even though Kikyo is still out there, I can't hide the fact that I am pregnant with this little guy much longer." Kagome smiled as she patted her rounded stomach.

Ayame smiled, "Little guy? Are you having a boy then?" Kagome nodded.

"Yeah. He should be making his appearance in about 3 months."

Sango shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you hid the fact you were pregnant from us for six months! I should have picked up on it."

Kagome gave her a sad look and dropped her gaze to her lap. "I am sorry I didn't tell you guys earlier. I hope that you can forgive me."

Ayame slugged Sango on the shoulder and hurried to assure Kagome that they were not angry with her, rather they were very happy for her and Inuyasha. "Besides," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, "we have more important things to do." Sango looked at Ayame and slowly grinned in understanding. Kagome was confused.

"What is that?"

"We have to plan your baby shower!" The mother-to-be blushed and stammered that it was not necessary, but she was quickly overruled by Ayame's and Sango's enthusiastic planning. Talk of baby furniture, clothes, pregnancy, labor, and parenting dominated the conversation of the three friends while they ate their lunch.

* * *

Sango sat back and sipped her coffee while Kagome finished the last of her meal. "So what else has been happening with you, Kagome?"

The woman in question dabbed at her mouth with her napkin before setting it aside. "Well, you've read the story, obviously, and I am sure that Miroku has told you that there is indeed a temple buried near the children's shelter. The Japanese government is starting excavation and there are plans for building an interpretive center at the site."

Sango nodded. "Miroku did mention that. Did he tell you that there are also plans to rebuild the temple and get it running again?" Both Kagome and Ayame shook their heads.

"No, but that does not surprise me. Anyway, Neitzel is awaiting trial in Switzerland. It is amazing the number of charges against him. I don't think that he will be able to avoid paying for his criminal activities this time around."

Ayame looked satisfied as she spat out a resounding "Good!" Sango nodded her agreement.

Kagome smiled briefly before settling a more serious look on her face. "Kikyo is still missing and nothing has been heard of her whereabouts. Inuyasha is still worried that she will try something, but it has been quiet these past few weeks. In fact, we have moved back to our house, but only after Sesshomaru installed a state-of-the-art security system." Kagome took a sip of water before she continued.

"Inuyasha still wants me to have a shadow, but now that he is back in school teaching, and the story has come out, I personally don't think I need one. I did promise not to go anywhere secluded and to always be aware of my surroundings. He isn't happy, but he has accepted that."

Ayame reached over and gently grabbed Kagome's arm in concern. "You still be careful, okay? We know what Kikyo is capable of and now you have another one to take care of."

Kagome smiled and patted her friend's hand. "I promise I will be careful. Don't worry."

Neither Ayame nor Sango were at ease with the fact that Kikyo was still running around, but they knew that their friend would not allow herself to be hidden away.

The three friends stood and went up to pay their bill. After promising to get together over the weekend to go shopping, they separated, each going their own way.

* * *

Kagome parked her car in the driveway and got out and shut the door, only to be attacked by a small, dark haired blur.

"Mama, mama, look what Rin made!" The small child held out a chain of asters. Kagome took it and placed it on her head and modeled it for the giggling girl.

"Well, how do I look? Do I look like a princess?" Rin laughed and shook her head.

"No, silly! You look like my mama!" Kagome laughed and took her daughter's hand and walked up to the door where Kaede greeted her with a smile.

"Rin has been looking for you since her nap. I taught her how to make the flower chains and now even Kirara is sporting one." Kaede pointed to where the small, cream colored cat lay sleeping on the couch, oblivious to her collar of flowers. Kagome smiled at the sight.

Kneeling down beside Rin, Kagome looked at her and said, "How about you and me go down to the park and play on the swings?" Rin squealed and clapped her hands in glee. Kagome laughed and stood upright, admonishing the child to take a jacket as there was a slight chill to the air. Rin readily agreed and ran down to her room, returning a minute later wearing a yellow sweater. With a promise to return in a couple of hours, Kagome and Rin walked down to the little park a few blocks away.

Just down the street, an observer sitting in a silver SUV made a quick phone call and told the person on the other end, "It is time."

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that you all like this chapter better than the last one – I didn't get very many reviews for it. I hope that I have not lost my audience as there is still a bit to go before this story is complete. If people review, I will update sooner._

_Thanks goes to my wonderful beta, Breezie for her willingness to suffer through my madness and her ability to keep me on track._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	27. Taken

Chapter 27: Taken

* * *

Kagome smiled down at Rin, who was chattering about her day, as they walked down the street. Rin caught sight of the park and dropped Kagome's hand to run ahead.

"Not so fast, Rin. You need to wait for me please," Kagome called out, halting Rin in place. The young girl turned and gave Kagome a small pout.

"But mama, you are almost here and I want to go play!" Kagome smiled and placed a hand on the child's head once she caught up to her.

"I think that waiting a few more moments won't kill you. The park will still be there. I just don't want anything to happen to you." Mother and daughter had arrived at the park entrance by that time. Rin looked up at Kagome, seeking permission to go and play.

"You can go now, but I want you to stay where I can see you, okay?" Rin nodded and ran over to the large wooden fort and started to climb. Kagome found a nearby bench and sank down on it gratefully. She sat and watched Rin as the child joined a game of tag with a few of the other children.

The late afternoon sunlight caressed Kagome's body, enticing her to relax and close her eyes. Slowly, she felt her self slipping into a light doze. A loud burst of childish laughter roused Kagome back into alertness and she opened her eyes, searching out Rin's whereabouts. She smiled when she found the young girl playing with another child amongst a patch of dandelion puffs. Kagome stretched and stood to her feet, deciding that she needed to move a bit before she dozed off again.

Kagome caught Rin's attention and gave her a small wave and a smile. Rin returned the wave before returning back to her new friend and their self-appointed task of blowing the seeds off every puffy dandelion.

Smiling gently at the sight, Kagome rested a hand on her belly and slowly walked around the park, making sure to keep Rin in sight the entire time. When she was about halfway around, Rin's friend had to leave, so Rin came running over to Kagome. Skidding to a stop, Rin wrapped her arms around Kagome and rested her head against her pregnant belly, giggling as she felt the baby move.

Kagome smiled and plucked dandelion fluff out of her daughter's hair. "Are you getting hungry?" Rin nodded eagerly. "Okay then, let's head back home and get some dinner."

Seeing that they were near a lesser used park entrance, Kagome headed for it, Rin skipping happily beside her. It wasn't long before Rin's skipping outpaced Kagome. "Rin, wait for me before you get to the street." The child waved back in acknowledgement and increased her pace. 'She should sleep well tonight,' Kagome thought with a grin.

As Kagome approached the park entrance, she could see Rin talking to someone obscured by a clump of bushes. Frowning slightly, Kagome increased her pace. Drawing near her daughter, she saw a dark-haired woman stand upright with her hand on Rin's shoulder. Rin looked back at Kagome and started to turn towards her, only to be stopped by the woman.

"Rin! What do you think you're doing? Let her go right now!" Kagome yelled as she quickly closed the remaining distance between them.

"Mama! Let me go! I want my mama!" Rin started to struggle and kicked at the woman holding on to her. Kagome reached them and lashed out angrily, only to feel an arm snake around her neck and a small prick of a needle in her arm. Kagome struggled a bit as she felt darkness gathering to sweep her away. Rin's frantic cries were the last thing she heard as the world faded away.

* * *

Inuyasha was almost home when he felt it, Kagome's fear. It was only there for a moment before it disappeared. Inuyasha tried to keep from panicking. Quickly grabbing his cell phone, he tried to dial her number, only to get a message stating that user was unavailable. Cursing, he dialed his brother's number and waited impatiently for him to answer.

'_This is Sesshomaru.'_

"It's me. Have you heard from Kagome?" Inuyasha hoped that she was with him, but was afraid that he already knew the answer.

'_No, I haven't. I assume that this call is in response to the fear coming over the soul bond moments ago?'_

'That's right, I forgot that Sesshomaru was now a part of this soul connection,' Inuyasha thought to himself. "Yeah. It was kinda weird though. It was only a brief flash, but I can't seem to get through on her cell phone." Inuyasha pulled up to the house and hopped out of his car. "I just got home, Sess. Let me give you a call back."

'_Very well. Call me once you find out what is happening.'_ Sesshomaru hung up and sat back in his chair. He felt a growing sense that something was wrong. Picking up the phone, Sesshomaru made a few calls and in mere moments, managed to get satellite information on the location of Kagome's cell phone. Grabbing his keys, Sesshomaru left his office and drove towards the location he had been given.

"Welcome home, Inuyasha…" Kaede greeted him as he entered the house.

"Is Kagome here?" he snapped, concern making it come out harsher than he intended.

Kaede looked at him in confusion. "No, she and Rin walked down to the park a while ago. They should be home any time." Inuyasha snarled and turned back towards the door. "What is going on? Are they okay?" The elderly woman was getting worried at Inuyasha's obvious agitation.

"I don't know, Kaede. There was a brief flash of fear along the bond and then nothing."

Inuyasha ran back to his car and took off for the park a few blocks away. When he got there, Inuyasha drove around, trying to catch sight of either Kagome or Rin. At the back entrance, he caught a glimpse of something. Quickly parking his car, Inuyasha leapt out and ran over to the small yellow object hanging on a shrub. It looked like one of Rin's sweaters!

With a shaking hand, he reached out and pulled the sweater off of the bush. As he did so, something fell out of a pocket and fell to the ground. Inuyasha looked down and saw a cell phone and a note. Sinking to his knees, he could only stare at the items as he desperately clutched the small sweater. He sat there numbly, not aware of time passing until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Sesshomaru had arrived.

"She has them. She has Kagome and Rin." Inuyasha was broken as he tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to choke him.

Sesshomaru squeezed his brother's shoulder and knelt down to pick up the cell phone and the note. Opening and reading it, he paled and crushed it in his hand.

Inuyasha turned glazed eyes towards his silent brother. "What does it say?" he asked softly.

Sesshomaru shut his eyes and struggled to gain control of his tumultuous emotions. "It says '**You'll never find them alive**'". The two brothers exchanged broken looks, their souls chilled at the thought of loosing Kagome, Rin and the unborn baby.

* * *

A small girl lay huddled against the unresponsive body of her mother, her head resting on the woman's chest. Tears silently made their way down her cheek and slowly soaked the woman's shirt. A slow, but steady heartbeat offered some comfort to the frightened child.

The house they had been taken to was quiet once more; the only noises were those made by the small, scurrying feet of rodents as they scrambled for food. Rin had already investigated the small room, finding the door was locked and there were no windows. Her mother lay upon a pile of dirty blankets where she had been placed. Food and water had been left just inside the doorway. Rin had been thrust into the room and the door locked behind her. No one answered her frantic cries and pounding on the door only hurt her hands.

Letting out a small whimper, Rin snuggled closer to Kagome and drifted off to sleep, praying that her Papa Inu and Papa Sess would soon come for them.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: I hope that everyone is still enjoying the story. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. All reviews are greatly appreciated! _

_Thank-you to my wonderful beta, Breezie. Stay with me kiddo, we ain't done yet!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	28. A Fragile Hope

Chapter 28: A Fragile Hope

* * *

Kagura glanced at the old house through the rearview mirror as she drove away, hiding a sigh from her passenger. She could not seem to shake the feeling of _wrongness_ that had settled upon her. When Kikyo had come up with this plan, nothing was said about taking the child. Kagura didn't approve of involving innocents, and the fact that Kagome was obviously pregnant didn't sit well with her either.

Kikyo looked over at the silent woman, noticing that she did not seem as pleased with the outcome of the first stage of the plan as Kikyo herself was. "What's the matter Kagura? Are you having second thoughts?" she sneered.

Kagura shook her head, knowing that if she were to show any signs of wavering, Kikyo would turn on her like a rabid beast. "Of course not. I was just surprised that you took the girl as well. I was given the impression that we were only after the woman, Kagome."

Kikyo snorted. "Why pass up a chance to make Inuyasha suffer? The opportunity presented itself, and I took advantage of it." Kikyo fell silent as her eyes slowly closed and a small smirk appeared. Kagura thought that the woman in the passenger seat had fallen asleep, only to be startled by one last comment. "It is not like any of them will live for long anyways."

Kagura shuddered slightly and glanced over to find Kikyo asleep.

'I don't like this,' Kagura thought to herself as she watched carefully for the highway entrance. 'There is not much more I can do for the child at this point.'

The original plan was to drug Kagome and stash her in an old house in the outskirts of town, leaving her there to starve, while laying false trails for Inuyasha. To prevent Kagome from regaining awareness and escaping, Kikyo would fasten a band on Kagome's wrist that would administer a powerful sedative through her skin. The effects would last for about 5 days, only wearing off once her body was too weak to care for itself.

Kagura bit her lip as she got onto the highway and drove back towards town.

Kidnapping the child had changed things a bit. Kagome still had been drugged and the band placed upon her wrist, but the child was thrown in with her mother. While Kikyo was taking care of the SUV and the drunkard they had "paid" to help with the kidnapping, Kagura managed to smuggle in some food and water to the terrified child before locking the door and picking Kikyo up down the road. It was not much, but hopefully it would last the child long enough for her to be rescued.

'With any luck, I may be able let someone know where they are before they starve,' Kagura thought. The more that she thought about this entire mess, the more she was regretting becoming involved in it. Kagura was not a murderer. 'Yeah, just keep telling myself that and maybe I will one day believe it.'

* * *

Tension was thick in the house as the two brothers waited for any information regarding Kagome's and Rin's whereabouts. Kaede had tried to get them to eat something, but with little success, finally giving up and retreating to her room to pray and meditate.

Sesshomaru turned from the window he'd been staring out of for the past several hours and looked over to where Inuyasha sat. With a deep sigh, Sesshomaru walked over and knelt in front of Inuyasha. Inuyasha's eyes stared blindly at the floor, just as he had been doing for the past five hours since they found the note. Sesshomaru lifted his brother's chin with his finger and looked into his blank eyes.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said softly, looking for any sign of response. When he found none, he tried again.

"Inuyasha, snap out of it!" Inuyasha focused upon Sesshomaru.

"They are gone," he whispered brokenly. Sesshomaru sighed and rested a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Yes they are, but we will get them back. Until then, you must be strong." Inuyasha only stared at him. Sesshomaru held back another sigh and gently pressed Inuyasha into lying upon the sofa, hopefully to get some sleep. He sat there and gently ran his hand through Inuyasha's hair, soothing him while Inuyasha silently cried himself to sleep, still desperately clutching Rin's sweater to his chest.

Once he was positive that Inuyasha had finally fallen asleep, Sesshomaru slowly got to his feet and covered him with the afghan off the back of the couch. He quietly made his way to the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee before he returned to the window and stared back out over the city.

* * *

"Mama, mama, wake up!" Rin shook Kagome's shoulder, trying to get her to wake. Rin was not sure how long they had been locked in the small room, but she could tell that it was too long for her mother to stay asleep.

Not getting any response from her attempts, Rin gave up and ate a little bit of food before sitting beside Kagome. She started to talk, figuring that anything was better than the creepy silence that filled the old house.

Rin found herself falling into a sort of rhythm: sleeping, waking, trying to wake Kagome, eat a little something, talk or sing, and falling asleep once again. During one of the times that Rin was eating, she started to cry. There was only a few bites of bread left and very little water. Her mother still hadn't moved and she had all she could take.

"Papa! Where are you? Please, we need you!" She stood and pounded on the door, screaming as loud as she could before collapsing in a heap beside Kagome.

"Rin…." It wasn't more than a whisper, but Rin turned her tear stained face towards the sound.

"Mama?"

"Rin, don't cry," Kagome whispered, her eyes barely open.

Rin threw herself onto Kagome and held her tightly, happy that her mother was finally awake. "Mama, are you okay? Rin was so worried! You were sleeping for a long time and wouldn't wake up," the young girl sobbed.

Kagome slowly lifted a heavy hand and started to rub her daughter's back.

"I am okay, just very, very tired." Rin finally stopped crying and crawled off of Kagome.

"Are you hungry, mama? There is a little food and some water here…"

"I am not hungry, but I could use a little water." Rin eagerly grabbed the nearly empty bottle and helped Kagome take a drink. After a few sips, Kagome felt what little energy she had begin to fade away. She lay back with a sigh and closed her eyes again, starting to drift off into the drug's embrace once again.

Rin sat quietly holding Kagome's hand. She bit her lip as she struggled with something.

"Mama?" Kagome stopped her slide back into the welcoming darkness and struggled back to awareness.

"Yes Rin?" she finally replied.

"I think I can get out of this room …" Kagome struggled to open her eyes.

'Maybe she can escape and go for help…' Kagome thought. "How?"

"I, umm, I found a hole…" During one of her searches of the small room, Rin had discovered a small hole, made by a mouse or other rodent. When she pressed against the wall around it, a portion of the wall crumbled away from years of water damage from a leaky roof. Rin had been able to enlarge the hole enough that she could wriggle through; however the fear of the darkness and of unseen creatures, as well as the reluctance to leave her mother kept Rin from exploring beyond the opening.

"A hole?" Kagome weakly squeezed Rin's hand. If her daughter could get somewhere safe…

"Rin, I want you to listen to me carefully. I want you to get out of here and call the police. I don't want you to talk to anyone unless it is to a police officer or to Papa Inu or Papa Sess." Rin whimpered softly and Kagome gave her another squeeze.

"I know that you are very brave and that you can do this. I am counting on you Rin. When you find an officer, have them call Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Then you can show them where to find me." Kagome's voice started to weaken as she lost her battle against the drug that coursed through her body.

Rin looked at her mother, tears falling quietly. She glanced nervously at the gaping hole that seemed to mock her from its corner. Turning back towards Kagome's sleeping figure, Rin placed a gentle kiss on her mother's cheek and stood up.

"Don't worry, mama. Rin will bring help!" With that vow, Rin squeezed herself into the hole and started to crawl through the darkness and into the unknown.

* * *

Rin felt like she had been crawling for a long time before she saw a faint brightness ahead of her. She almost cried in relief and hurried towards the light. Rin soon found another hole, this one made by some larger animal who had nested within the walls as evidenced by the small bones scattered about. Rin squeezed out, scraping her shoulders and knees in the process. Finally, she made it out and was able to stand.

After wiping her tearing eyes with the back of a grubby hand, Rin looked around. She was standing in front of an old, dilapidated farmhouse. Walking towards the dirt road that ran in front of it, Rin came upon a large rose bush that had grown wild. The fragrant lavender flowers called to Rin, who stopped and nestled her face into their soft petals. Carefully avoiding the thorns, Rin picked one to take with her. She took one last look at the house before turning and starting her long walk to find help.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I hope that you like it. Thank-you to all those who have reviewed this story; your reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank-you as well to my wonderful beta, Breezie – I hope that your "news" turns out the way you want it!_

_As always, Please Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	29. Finding

Chapter 29: Finding

* * *

_Sesshomaru looked around the now familiar dreamscape. He had found himself drawn into this peaceful place on a nightly basis for the past week. Inuyasha would usually meet him there, but the person the two brothers wished most to see had not been present. Kagome, for whatever reason, had not made an appearance in the dreamscape, and this was very worrisome for both men._

_Sesshomaru slowly made his way up the grassy hill, intending to sit beneath the lone tree and wait for Inuyasha to appear. As he crested the knoll, he caught sight of a figure already resting against the broad trunk._

'_Hmm, it seems that Inuyasha has arrived before me,' he thought with mild surprise. Sesshomaru took a few more steps before realizing that the figure had black hair, not Inuyasha's silver._

"_Kagome…" Sesshomaru quickly closed the remaining distance and knelt down beside the sleeping woman. He rapidly grew concerned as he took in her haggard appearance._

_Kagome had lost weight, enough so that she almost looked emaciated, her pregnant belly contrasting harshly with her gaunt frame. Sesshomaru brushed her hair from her face, taking in the papery dryness of her skin. Where ever Kagome was being kept, she was obviously not being taken care of._

"_Has she said anything to you?" Inuyasha asked as he seated himself beside Kagome, drawing her unresponsive body to rest against his chest._

"_No, she hasn't said anything to me. The fact that she is even here in this dreamscape is a good sign though."_

_Inuyasha nodded absently as he studied his wife, taking in her sickly appearance. He rubbed his hand up her stomach, smiling as he felt the baby kick against his hand._

"_The baby is okay," he said in relief. Sesshomaru shared a brief smile with his brother. At least the unborn child was faring well._

"_Kagome, wake up, angel." Inuyasha gently patted her cheek. Sesshomaru watched for any signs of waking. Inuyasha tried several times before a faint groan was heard._

"_Come on, Kagome. Please open your eyes. You can do it…" With Inuyasha's encouragement, Kagome finally opened her eyes and slowly blinked a few times._

"_Inu…Sess…" Kagome's voice was weak, but the two men thought they'd never heard anything sweeter._

"_We're here, Kagome," Sesshomaru said as he gently held her hand. Kagome gave the brothers a weary smile._

"_Are you okay, Kagome? How is Rin?" Inuyasha tried to hold back his concern as Kagome's eyes drooped closed._

"_Mmmm, tired," she said softly. Her eyes fluttered closed as she smiled and lifted her free hand to Inuyasha's cheek. "Love you, Yasha." Kagome squeezed Sesshomaru's hand, "you too, Sess." Taking a deep breath, Kagome opened her eyes and tried to stay awake, failing as her body started to succumb to the drugs once again._

"_Rin is okay. She… escaped…" Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged looks of surprise._

"_Kagome, are you telling us Rin has managed to escape?" Sesshomaru asked as hope kindled._

"_Mmm hmm," she replied as she seemed to melt bonelessly against Inuyasha's supporting embrace. Moments later, Kagome's presence faded from the dreamscape, leaving Sesshomaru and Inuyasha to stare at one another._

"_What do you think is happening, Sess?" Inuyasha asked, concern and frustration choking his voice._

"_From what I could tell, Kagome appears to have been drugged – that would account for her absence from the soul connection and her sluggish responses here tonight. Somehow, Rin has managed to slip away from where they were being kept."_

"_If she has escaped, then where is she?" Inuyasha stood to his feet and started to pace. Sesshomaru stood up and placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder._

"_Rin will be okay. She is a very smart little girl. We will call the police and let them know to be on the lookout for her." Sesshomaru was not surprised to see tears in his brother's eyes. "They will be okay, Inuyasha. We'll bring them all home safely."_

_Inuyasha allowed himself to accept the comfort his older brother was offering. After a few moments, he lifted his eyes and looked intently at Sesshomaru. "Sess, I want you to promise me something."_

"_What would that be, Inuyasha?"_

"_I want you to promise that if something were to happen to me, that you would take care of them." Sesshomaru was shocked. _

"_Inuyasha, nothing is going to happen to you," he stated, but seeing Inuyasha's insistence, he nodded. "But if anything were to happen, you have my word that I will take care of your family."_

"_Thank-you Sesshomaru." Inuyasha started to fade from the grassy hill, leaving Sesshomaru alone once more. Sesshomaru couldn't shake the ominous feeling that seemed to settle upon him when Inuyasha extracted his promise._

'_Kaede, is this what you were sensing? Is this why you had me make the soul connection permanent?' With a sigh, Sesshomaru set himself to the task of waking so that he could get started finding Rin.

* * *

_

Rin was growing very tired of walking. She had walked long into the night, heading towards the bright lights of the city, but she didn't feel like she had gotten any closer to her destination. Now the sun was starting to rise, and she felt like she couldn't walk another step.

Walking down the deserted road a bit further, Rin found a grassy spot beside the road and took the opportunity to sit and rest. Drawing her knees to her chest, Rin folded her arms over them and rested her head upon them. 'I will only rest for a little while before I go and find help for mama,' she thought as she closed her eyes. The wind blowing through the grass and the birds greeting the dawn sung the weary child to sleep.

* * *

"I told Emi I needed to leave earlier than this! Now I am going to be late and the Sarge is going to have my head!" Ginta ran a hand through his closely cropped hair in frustration.

He was driving back from his in-laws house on the other end of the island. Emi's father had passed away, and he had spent the last two weeks helping his wife and her mother close up the old house in order to move the old woman into their home. Emi had opted to stay behind a few more days and oversee the movers, but Ginta had to get back to work. He looked at his watched and growled in frustration; his shift was scheduled to start in less than an hour, and he was still at least that far from the city.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about traffic out here," he laughed to himself. He was driving on the back roads, preferring them to the more crowded highways. The scenery was much nicer and he enjoyed watching for the inevitable wildlife. "Besides the fact that I will get to work this way just as quickly as I would have on the highway, but I am not stuck in rush hour traffic."

Up ahead, Ginta saw a dark shape beside the road. Thinking it might be a stray dog, he slowed his car in case it decided to run out into the road; Emi would never forgive him if he ran over an animal. As he neared, he realized that it was not a dog, but he wasn't sure what it was. Slowing to a stop, Ginta was shocked to find it was a small girl, asleep where she sat.

Ginta opened his door and got out, walking over to the sleeping child. Placing a gentle hand to her shoulder, he rapidly drew back when she woke and recoiled in fear.

"It is okay, I won't hurt you," Ginta said soothingly. The young girl had scrambled to her feet and edged away from him warily.

"Are you okay? Where are your parents?" The child only stared silently at Ginta, not sure if she could trust this man before her.

Ginta thought for a moment and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a partially melted candy bar, extending it towards the frightened child. "Are you hungry?"

She stared at him for a moment before she nodded hesitantly.

"Go ahead and take it. I have some water in the car if you would like." Ginta smiled and held the candy bar out as the child slowly reached out and took it.

"Thank-you," she whispered. Ginta nodded and walked back to the car, retrieved a bottle of water and brought it back for the child. Handing her the bottle, he tried again to get the child to talk to him.

"What is your name?"

The little girl gazed wistfully at the now empty candy wrapper before looking back at the young man who sat beside her.

"Mama told me not to talk to anyone but a police officer."

Ginta smiled and pulled out his wallet and showed the child his badge. "That's good, because I am a police officer. My name is Officer Ookami." The little girl studied the shiny badge before turning a bright smile upon him.

"Oh! Your name is just like Auntie Ayame's!" Ginta looked at the smiling child in confusion. How did she know Ayame?"

"What is your name? And who are your parents?"

The dark-haired child took a long drink of water before she answered. "My name is Rin Taisho. My mama is Kagome and my papa is Inuyasha. My other papa is Sesshomaru. You have to call my papas and help my mama!"

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the last few chapters. For some reason, I am not getting as many reviews as I did on the earlier chapters, so those that I do get now are that much more important to me! Please keep reviewing!_

_Thank-you, Breezie, for your continued willingness to beta my stories – I hope you know how much you are appreciated!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	30. A Rose Leads the Way

Chapter 30: A Rose Leads the Way

* * *

_Kikyo was insane!_

That was the only explanation that Kagura could come up with. Ever since Neitzel was apprehended and Kikyo's personal and business assets were seized, she had been a little off, a bit paranoid. But since the kidnapping of Kagome and the child, Kikyo had gotten worse.

Kagura would often hear Kikyo muttering and talking to herself. She had even heard Kikyo answer as if she were holding a conversation with someone. When Kagura ventured to ask who she was talking to, Kikyo looked at her as if she were crazy and replied "I am talking to Naraku, of course. Who else would I be talking to?" Kagura just shook her head and tried to keep out of her sister-in-law's way.

Keeping away from Kikyo was difficult. Her paranoia had gotten worse and she insisted that Kagura stay close beside her. It seemed that every time Kagura turned around, Kikyo was right there beside her. If she didn't know better, Kagura would have thought that Kikyo no longer trusted her; in fact, she was afraid that Kikyo suspected that she was having some major doubts about the entire mess.

It had been over a week since the kidnapping and Kagura was despairing of ever being able to inform someone of Kagome's location. She knew that if she didn't do something soon, that Kagome and Rin would not survive much longer.

* * *

Kikyo walked down the hall and grabbed her keys. "I am going out for a bit to take care of some stuff. I will be back later."

Kagura looked up from the television show she had been watching and nodded. "Do you need me to go with you?"

"No, that is okay. I will see you later." Kikyo left, leaving Kagura to stare at the closed door in mild surprise.

"Now is my chance!" She quickly grabbed the phone and placed the call.

"_Inuyasha speaking."_

"Meet me outside the children's shelter in forty minutes. I will take you to your wife and daughter. You must come alone."

"_Wait, who are you? Where is Kagome?"_

"Forty minutes." Kagura hung up the phone and grabbed her keys and ran to her car, not noticing when Kikyo's car started to follow her in the distance.

"You were right, Naraku. I should not have trusted that witch. Won't she be surprised when she finds our little present!" Kikyo giggled as she followed Kagura's car, staying far enough back so as to not draw attention to her pursuit.

* * *

Inuyasha hung up the phone and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He hadn't gotten much sleep during the past week, and he looked like crap. He looked at the phone and debated calling his brother but decided against it. If the woman was on the level, it may be his only chance to find Kagome and Rin.

He grabbed his keys and headed across town, forgetting to grab his cell phone off the kitchen table in his rush. The children's shelter was at least 30 minutes away, and that was with the traffic cooperating.

Inuyasha pulled up to the nearly completed children's shelter and parked his car. The area was deserted, considering it was the weekend. He looked at his watch and noted that he still had a few minutes remaining before his meeting. Getting out of his car, Inuyasha leaned against the hood and scanned the area for anyone. Minutes ticked by and Inuyasha rapidly grew frustrated. There was no sign of the person whom he was supposed to meet. He looked at his watch and found that ten minutes had gone by.

With a growl of frustration, Inuyasha pushed himself away from his car and started walking around the building. He had just completed one circuit around the shelter when he caught sight of a woman standing beside his car. Was this the woman?

"Are you Inuyasha?" He nodded and the woman breathed a sigh of relief.

"My name is Kagura. Come with me and I will take you to your family."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment. "Why should I trust you? How do you know where they are?"

Kagura nervously looked around, unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. "I will tell you the whole story in the car. But for now, I am Kikyo's sister-in-law. She has gone off the deep end and I don't approve of the mess she has created. Now come on, let's go before Kikyo finds out!"

Inuyasha studied the woman in front of him for a long moment. He took in her nervousness, which was making him feel a little jumpy as well. "Okay, but we will take your car and you are driving. I want your hands in plain view at all times." Kagura nodded her acceptance and the pair got into the small car and drove off, once again followed discretely by Kikyo's vehicle.

* * *

Sesshomaru hung up the phone and quickly excused himself from the breakfast meeting he had been in and rushed out the door.

_Rin had been found!_

Minutes later, he burst through the station doors. "Where is she?" Sesshomaru demanded of the unlucky officer passing by.

An older officer, hair starting to gray at the temples came out and greeted Sesshomaru. "I have been waiting for you, Mr. Taisho. I am police chief Ryu Umemoto. Please come with me." He led Sesshomaru into the break room and stood aside to allow him to enter the room first. Sesshomaru stepped inside, only to be tackled by a small body that immediately latched onto him and began to sob.

"Papa Sess, Rin was so scared!" Sesshomaru knelt down and hugged the child tightly, slightly surprised to find his eyes tearing up. He took a moment to study the small girl and frowned when he saw how thin and dirty she was.

Sesshomaru looked at the officers who hovered nearby and asked, "where did you find her? Where is Kagome?" He tried to stand back up, but Rin tightened her grip, so Sesshomaru picked her up and took a seat at the table where a plate with a few crumbs gave testament of Rin's meal.

With a nod from the chief, the officer who had been with Rin started to speak.

"Sir, my name is Ginta Ookami." Sesshomaru recognized the last name from one of Inuyasha's friends.

"I was on my way in to work from out of town when I came upon Rin sitting beside the road." Ginta pulled out a map and indicated where he had found the child.

"As you can see, there is very little out there. She told me who she was and that her mother needed help. I brought her here and we tried to call Inuyasha, but were unable to reach him. We then called you."

Sesshomaru tightened his hold upon the now quiet child and looked at her thoughtfully. Rin rubbed a hand across her eyes and smiled sleepily up at him. The police chief smiled at the touching scene.

"We have people searching this area," Officer Umemoto pointed out a ten mile radius surrounding the area where Rin was found, "but so far, we have not had any luck."

Sesshomaru nodded his understanding. Rin yawned and rubbed at her eyes again. He could feel her relaxing into sleep and smiled tenderly down at her as she snuggled closer to him. Suddenly, she sat upright and reached into her pocket. Withdrawing the now rather smashed and wilted rose, she handed it to Sesshomaru.

"Here papa! I found this for you. There was a whole bunch of them in front of the house where mama is." Sesshomaru thanked Rin and took the flower from her. With a satisfied smile, she snuggled back into Sesshomaru's arms and quickly fell asleep.

The chief and Ginta examined the lavender bloom; Ginta rapidly growing excited. "I think I know where Kagome is being kept!" He grabbed the map and pointed to an area just outside the search radius.

"My wife was friends with this old man by the name of Aramaki. He raised roses such as these. He died several years ago and his house had stood empty ever since. Emi said that he had the 'most gorgeous' lavender rose bush she had ever seen out front and often wished to try and get a start from it for her own garden."

Officer Umemoto got on the radio and sent several of the cars to that location.

Sesshomaru shifted the slumbering child in his arms and grabbed his cell phone. He placed a quick call. With a satisfied smile, he turned to the two men. "I will have a helicopter here in 5 minutes. I will go to get Kagome." Ginta nodded.

"I have tried to get a hold of Inuyasha, but have not gotten any answer either at home or on his cell phone. If you'd like, I can call Ayame to come and get Rin."

Sesshomaru looked down at the child and was torn. He really didn't want to take the girl with them, yet he was reluctant to let her out of his sight. As he was about to give his reply, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"I'm sorry sir, but there is an old woman by the name of Kaede out here demanding to see the girl. What do you want me to do with her?"

Sesshomaru stood to his feet with Rin sleeping soundly in his arms. "Take me to her." The officer looked at the police chief for permission and swiftly led the way out front. Sesshomaru could hear his aunt berating some poor soul and had to hide a grin.

Kaede stopped as she caught sight of Sesshomaru and Rin and hurried over.

"Oh, thank goodness she's safe! Where is Kagome? Did you find her?"

"We haven't found her yet, but we think we know where she is. I am flying out in a few minutes to get her." Sesshomaru gently transferred Rin into Kaede's arms.

"Do you know where Inuyasha is? He isn't answering his phone." Kaede shook her head.

"No, I don't. I came home from the store and saw his car was gone and found the messages about Rin. His cell phone is laying on the kitchen table."

"Of all the times to forget his phone…" Sesshomaru shook his head. "I want you to take Rin to my house and stay inside. You both should be safe there and I will call when we find Kagome." Kaede opened her mouth to protest, only to nod in agreement.

"Very well." She turned towards the door, but paused and said over her shoulder, "bring Kagome and the baby back safely." Sesshomaru nodded.

"I will."

* * *

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes. It took a moment before her eyes were able to focus. She lay quietly and realized that she was very thirsty. She moved her head to the side and saw the nearly empty water bottle sitting just beyond her reach. Moving very slowly, Kagome rolled onto her side and was finally able to reach the bottle. She brought it to her lips and eagerly swallowed the few teaspoons of tepid water, thinking nothing could taste sweeter.

Once the bottle was empty, Kagome sighed and allowed it to drop from her fingers. Even moving just that little bit exhausted her body. As she lay back, her thoughts turned to Rin. 'I hope that she is okay! I don't like the idea of her being out there by herself, but anything is better that waiting here to die.' Thoughts of Rin, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru followed her as she fell asleep once again. In the distance the sound of a helicopter and sirens rapidly approached the silent farmhouse.

* * *

TBC

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter posted. I am not totally satisfied with how it turned out, but didn't want to make you all wait any longer for it. I am already writing the next chapter, so I hope to have it posted soon. Thank-you for your patience and continued support! I hope that you enjoy this chapter._

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	31. Reunited

Chapter 31: Reunited

* * *

Sesshomaru could not contain his impatience as he waited for the signal it was safe to exit the helicopter. Finally, the pilot cut the power to the rotors and gave the go-ahead. Sesshomaru jumped out and ran across the field to the abandoned house. He could hear the officers cautioning him to wait for them to secure the area, but he ignored them.

Bursting through the front door, Sesshomaru looked around before running down the hallway, peering into each room. Behind him, the other officers separated and started their own searches.

He knew he was close; he could feel Kagome's presence through the soul bond. At the end of the hallway, Sesshomaru tried to open the last door, only to find it locked. He gave it a swift kick, crashing the door open. Looking inside he saw Kagome lying on a pile of blankets.

"She's in here!" Sesshomaru shouted as he raced to the woman's side. He took a good look at her and frowned; she looked worse than she had in the dreamscape.

He knelt down and carefully gathered her into his arms. "Kagome, you need to wake up. Come on Kagome, you're okay now, we've found you."

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she smiled as she saw her rescuer. "Sess…"

A water bottle was handed to Sesshomaru who took it and offered it to Kagome. She eagerly drank the much needed liquid. He watched her carefully, pulling the bottle away before she drank too much and made herself sick.

"Slowly now, you can have more in a minute."

Kagome licked her lips to moisten them. "How…?"

"Rin was found by a police officer along side the road. She is fine and is at my home with Kaede. We were able to find you with her help."

Kagome gave a sigh of relief, happy that Rin was okay and now safe at home. She looked around the room noticing that someone she dearly wanted to see was missing. "Where is Inuyasha?" She weakly struggled upright, only to fall back with a gasp. Sesshomaru rearranged his hold so that she was propped up a bit more against his chest.

"I don't know where my brother is. He wasn't at home and he has foolishly left his cell phone behind." Sesshomaru gave Kagome a little bit more of the water, which she gratefully drank. When the bottle was nearly empty, Kagome wearily lay back in his arms and started to doze off.

Ginta poked his head into the room and looked worriedly at Kagome. "The area is clear. Do you want me to call for medical transport?"

Sesshomaru looked down at Kagome and shook his head. "No, I will take her in my helicopter." He carefully shifted the sleeping woman in his arms and started to his feet, only to freeze at Kagome's gasp of pain.

Both Ginta and Sesshomaru looked at her in concern as her pain-filled eyes opened and she tried to curl into a ball. "What is it, Kagome? What is wrong?"

"The…the baby…" she gasped out heavily before giving another cry of pain.

Sesshomaru was confused. He had no idea what was happening to Kagome, but Ginta quickly realized what was happening. "She's gone into labor! Her body must be too weak to support the baby! She needs medical attention ASAP!"

Sesshomaru, upon hearing that Kagome had gone into premature labor, hastened to his feet and ran out of the house, yelling to the pilot to start the engines immediately. He knew that if the baby and Kagome were to survive, he had to get them to the hospital quickly.

* * *

Inuyasha tried to hide his impatience, but was failing miserably. Kagura had finished her tale and was now driving out of the city. She kept looking in the rearview mirror, noting a vaguely familiar car following in the distance.

"Why didn't you go to the police from the beginning?" Kagura glanced at Inuyasha and shook her head.

"At first, I didn't want to. I was angry about my brother's death. I had not been aware of his attempts upon you and Kagome until recently. After Kikyo decided to bring in Muso and Goshinki, I knew that things were getting out of hand. But you do not rat out family, and unfortunately, Kikyo is all the family I had left. I just stepped back and tried to keep a low profile. This kidnapping thing was the final straw. I knew I had to do something, but by then, Kikyo was watching my every move."

Inuyasha grunted and sat back, not totally satisfied with Kagura's answers, but decided to bide his time.

Kagura glanced back, swore, and stepped on the gas. Inuyasha looked at her, rubbing the back of his neck. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to give me whiplash or something?"

"Kikyo is right behind us!" Kagura once again stepped on the gas pedal, but instead, all of the lights in the car flashed and then went out and the engine sputtered to a stop. Kagura tried to restart the car, but nothing happened. Reaching under the seat, she pulled out a gun and quickly got out of the car. Inuyasha got out more slowly as Kikyo's car pulled up behind them.

Inuyasha and Kagura watched warily as Kikyo stepped out and stood smiling at them.

"Aww, isn't this sweet? The two people who betrayed me out for a Sunday drive." Kikyo held up a small black device. "Did you like my little surprise? Naraku told me how to make it and to put it in your car. All I had to do was flip this switch and all the electronics in your car fried, including the electronic fuel pump. Pretty nifty, huh?"

Inuyasha started to say something, but quickly shut his mouth when Kagura pointed the gun at Kikyo.

"Leave us alone Kikyo. It is all over. Just let us go and get Kagome and Rin."

"Oh, but dear sister, I don't want to do that. You see, Naraku told me never to show weakness to an adversary and when you betrayed me, you became one, just like Inuyasha is. If I were to let you go, I would be weak…" Kikyo moved her arm rapidly, throwing something at Kagura, who staggered back and dropped her gun. "I am not weak!" Inuyasha saw a handle of a dagger sticking out of Kagura's chest. The air was still as she wavered and stared in surprise at the knife that she had not seen coming before collapsing to the ground.

Inuyasha was in shock. It had happened so fast that he was unable to do anything. He took a step towards Kagura's body only to be stopped by Kikyo.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, my dear Inuyasha." He looked up to find the muzzle of a revolver pointed at him. He stopped and tried not to make any threatening moves.

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone?" Inuyasha tried to keep the pleading tone from his voice. Kikyo just smirked.

"Why am I doing this? That is very simple. You have managed to take or destroy EVERYTHING that was important to me! First, it was Naraku, and then my company and house and money. You even managed to take my sister-in-law from me!" By this time, Kikyo was screaming and waving the gun around.

Inuyasha took a step towards Kikyo who immediately calmed and aimed the gun at him once again. "Since you took everything from me, I thought I would return the favor and take away your most precious possessions."

"Kikyo listen to me. We did not mean to hurt you in any way," Inuyasha said, trying to distract her while he frantically tried to come up with a plan. He figured that pointing out the fact that everything that had happened was instigated by her and Naraku probably was not a smart idea.

"Just let Kagome and Rin go. They had nothing to do with this. You have me here."

Kikyo shook her head. "Nope, sorry, but no can do. They are probably dead, or will be soon. But that won't matter, because you will soon join them and I will be back with Naraku." Inuyasha didn't like the sound of that.

He stood trying to come up with a plan to get away from Kikyo, who had started to giggle like a young girl. He felt along the soul bond and sensed a feeling of happiness only to be followed by pain. He gasped and knew that Kagome and the baby were in trouble.

Kikyo walked closer to Inuyasha, still giggling. He kept himself from stepping back. If only he could get the gun away from Kikyo… Another wave of pain radiated through the soul bond. He concentrated as much as he could and sent love back along the bond. He felt a sense of awareness and an answering rush of love which was followed by another wave of pain. Still sending all the love he held for Kagome, Inuyasha refocused upon Kikyo, who was now close enough to touch.

"Things could have been so different for us. It truly is a shame that it has to end this way." Kikyo dropped the gun and wrapped Inuyasha in a tight embrace. He could feel something lumpy under her clothing, quickly realizing that she had rigged herself as a human bomb. He struggled in her grasp, barely hearing her say "Goodbye, Inuyasha."

"Kagome…"

* * *

In the helicopter flying rapidly towards the city hospital, Sesshomaru held Kagome and tried to keep her calm, hoping that the contractions would slow.

Kagome lay quietly between the painful contractions, tears running slowly down her face. Upon the heels of the next contraction, she felt Inuyasha through the soul bond. She smiled as she felt the warmth and intensity of his love and returned her own to him. Sesshomaru picked up on the emotion his brother was sending through his own bond and smiled. Inuyasha must realize that Kagome had been found.

Kagome tensed as another contraction hit. She clenched Sesshomaru's arm trying to hold off the pain. She could feel the concern underneath the continuing outpouring of love coming from Inuyasha and tried to let him know that she was okay, but needed him near.

Sesshomaru watched in concern as Kagome's contractions increased their intensity; nodding absently as the pilot informed him of their impending arrival at the hospital. He felt Kagome stiffen in his arms and felt a brief flash of intense pain followed by a deep, aching, emptiness; somehow, he knew that his brother no longer walked among the living. Sesshomaru found himself crying as Kagome gave one last heartbreaking cry.

"INUYASHA!"

* * *

TBC

_A/N: The story is not quite finished. (Author ducks all debris and cowers behind a wall). If I get enough reviews, I will update quickly, otherwise, you will have to wait and see what happens next._

_Thank-you Breezie and all of my reviewers. You are all greatly appreciated!_

_As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


	32. Life Goes One

Chapter 32: Life Goes On

* * *

Childish laughter filled the backyard as a group of children played a game of tag. Their parents sat on the patio eating and talking quietly amongst themselves, periodically answering to a call of mama or papa from their children. Kagome stood to her feet and excused herself before heading into the kitchen.

"Kaede, do you need any help in here?" Kagome asked. The elderly woman looked up from the cake she was frosting and smiled at her.

"No dear, I have everything under control here. The children should be ready for cake and ice cream shortly." Kagome smiled and snuck a taste of frosting, laughing softly as Kaede playfully swatted at her hands.

Kaede looked more closely at the young woman she considered a daughter, frowning slightly at her pale countenance. "How are you holding up, Kagome?"

Kagome sighed and sat herself at the kitchen table. "I am doing as well as can be expected today." Kaede put down the spatula and moved around the table and gave Kagome a hug. Kagome leaned into her embrace and allowed a few tears to escape before she sat back, wiping furiously at her eyes.

Kaede looked at her in concern before returning to the cake to put on the finishing touches. "I know that it is hard for you, having lost Inuyasha five years ago today, but Yasha needs you to be happy on this, his birthday."

Kagome stared blindly out the window and didn't respond for a long moment. "I know, Kaede, but it is so hard. This day not only marks the anniversary of my greatest sorrow, but it also marks the day of my greatest joy." Kaede nodded in understanding. Silence fell upon the kitchen.

Moments later, the stillness was broken by the sound of running feet. Kagome gave a small smile as she heard Rin trying to keep her brother out of the kitchen. She moved out into the hallway and braced herself as a small body attached itself to her legs.

"Mama! Mama! Is it time for cake yet? My tummy says that it is empty now!" Kagome smiled down at the small boy, his silver hair hanging messily in his face. She brushed her fingers through it and tucked it behind his ears so she could see his golden eyes and mustard smeared face grinning up at her.

"How can your tummy be empty? You just ate a hamburger and four hotdogs!" The young boy shrugged.

"Don't know, but it is!" His stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, causing Kagome to giggle softly.

"Cake and ice cream will be out in a little while. Now go back out and play until it is time." The young boy sighed and stared longingly into the kitchen before allowing Rin to take him back out to his friends. Kagome reentered the kitchen in time to see Kaede place the cake in the refrigerator for a bit to set the frosting.

Kaede turned with a twinkle in her eyes. "I swear that boy looks and acts more and more like his father every day."

Kagome smiled wistfully as she nodded. "Yeah, he does."

* * *

Sesshomaru quietly closed the bedroom door and went into the living room. He found Kagome staring out the window and went to stand behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Yasha _finally_ fell asleep," Sesshomaru said softly. Kagome nodded but didn't say anything. Sesshomaru sighed.

"I miss him too, you know." Kagome turned and stared for a moment into the golden Taisho eyes, eyes that all the men of the Taisho lineage carried. After a moment, she laid her head upon his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him.

"I know," she said quietly. "I am sorry that I am being so emotional about this…" Sesshomaru silenced her with a gentle kiss.

"Kagome, you don't have to apologize. You have plenty of reasons to be emotional today of all days." He led her over to the couch and sat down; drawing her body down to sit snuggled tightly against his. "It has been five years since Inuyasha died, five years since I almost lost you, and five years since Yasha was born and almost died. The fact that you both survived is nothing less than a miracle." Sesshomaru rested his hand on Kagome's slightly swelling abdomen. "And if that weren't enough, the fact that you are pregnant with my child is reason enough to be emotional."

Kagome sighed and leaned back into Sesshomaru, playing idly with his wedding band. It had taken four years, but Kagome and Sesshomaru had married and now were expecting a new member to their family come late winter.

Sesshomaru was content to hold Kagome in his arms; feeling her body relaxing. "You know, you never did tell me why you finally accepted my proposal."

Kagome blushed. Sesshomaru had proposed to her when Yasha was only a few months old, but she had kept putting him off.

"Well, at first I was totally overwhelmed with Inuyasha's death and Yasha's birth. Then after awhile, I was unsure what it was that I felt for you. I thought I was falling in love with you, but I felt that by doing so, I was betraying Inuyasha's memory."

Sesshomaru nodded. He had figured that something like that had been the reason behind Kagome's hesitation. "What finally changed your mind?"

"Well, one night, I found myself in the dreamscape. At first I thought I was alone, but then I saw him. Inuyasha. He hugged me and said that he missed me and was sorry that he could not keep his promise to always be there for me. I was crying and he just held me tightly. When I finally calmed down, he told me that he was proud of Yasha, Rin, and me. We talked a little bit about the children and how fast they were growing.

"After awhile, Inuyasha told me to stop being so stubborn about marrying you. He told me that he had asked you to take care of us if anything were to happen to him. He also told me to stop deceiving myself and acknowledge the love I felt for you as well as the love you had for me. I could feel that love through the soul bond between us, but was always afraid to accept its reality.

"I protested, saying that he was the only one I could ever love; that by loving another, I would be allowing his memory to fade. Inuyasha smirked and told me to stop being stupid; that by loving and marrying you, I would be keeping his memory alive. After that, I woke up, and the rest is history."

Sesshomaru leaned over and captured Kagome's lips in a passionate kiss. When they finally separated, Kagome sat back with a blush while Sesshomaru chuckled. "I guess I have a lot to thank my brother for. Shall we go upstairs and honor his memory together?"

Kagome's blush deepened. She gave a small squeal as Sesshomaru stood with her in his arms and carried her off to their bedroom.

Down the hall, Rin smiled to herself in the dark before rolling over to go back to sleep. All was well in her world.

* * *

The End

_A/N: Alas! All good things must come to an end. As much as I hated to do it, I had to post this chapter for all of you who were waiting patiently for me to update. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, what with work, writer's block, not wanting the story to end and my computer hard drive dying on me, I finally persevered._

_Anyway, I now plan on working on Breaking a Heart's Promise and will try to get the next chapter out soon for it. I have many other ideas for stories, but will need to see where my muse takes me._

_Thank-you to each and everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. You are all my inspirations for continuing. I hope that you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it._

_A special thank-you goes out to Breezie for her indispensable aid in editing my stories for me. I could not have done it without her help!_

_Until next time!_

_Read, Enjoy, and Review!_


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